Tomorrow marks the Anniversary of the death of the late Princess Margaret, who passed away in 2002! As one of the leading members of the Royal Family for over five decades, the late Princess had a huge collection of jewellery, which included her iconic Diamond Earrings!
Each composed of a an old-cut diamond cluster surmount suspending a foliate diamond link and pear-shaped diamond cluster drop, these Diamond Earrings were acquired by Princess Margaret around the same time as her Poltimore Tiara in the late 1950s.
Each old-cut diamond cluster surmount suspending a foliate diamond link and pear-shaped diamond cluster drop, mounted in silver and gold, in fitted green leather Garrard & Co. Ltd., 112 Regent Street, case
The Diamond Earrings were debuted along with the Poltimore Necklace for a Gala Performance at Covent Garden right after the announcement of her Engagement to Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.
Princess Margaret notably wore the Diamond Earrings with the Poltimore Tiara at the Wedding Ball of King Baudouin and Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón at the Royal Palace of Brussles and it was also worn for the Belgian State Visit in 1963, in Denmark in 1964, and in America in 1965, in addition to numerous official and less formal portraits.
The Diamond Earrings became a classic pairing with the Poltimore Tiara as well as the Teck Diamond Hoop Necklace or her Diamond Rivières by the 1970s and 80s, when they were worn for the Japanese State Visit in 1971, Swedish State Visit in 1975, the Silver Jubilee Gala at Covent Garden in 1977, in the Philippines in 1980, Oman State Visit in 1982, Dutch State Visit in 1982, the American State Visit in 1982, and the Spanish State Visit in 1986, among many other occasions.
Princess Margaret continued to wear the Diamond Earrings regularly into the 1990s, with the Polish State Visit to Britain in 1991, Brunei State Visit to Britain in 1992, and Heads of State Banquet at Guildhall in 1995 among numerous State Openings of Parliament and other gala occasions into her final years.
After Princess Margaret’s death in 2002, while some of her jewels remained with her children; the 2nd Earl of Snowdon and Lady Sarah Chatto, many of them were sold at the famous 2006 Christie’s Auction, with the Diamond Earrings being sold for GBP 148,000, well above the GBP 8,000 – GBP 12,000 estimate. They haven’t been seen since.
