Today marks the second Anniversary of the Death of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on this day in 2022! The oldest and longest reigning British Monarch had one of, if not the, largest jewellery collections, and which included these Antique Diamond Girandole Earrings!
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara | Vladimir Tiara | Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara | Belgian Sapphire Tiara | Burmese Ruby Tiara | Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara | Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara | Cambridge Emerald Parure The Jewels of Queen Elizabeth II
The exact origin of these magnificent Antique Diamond Girandole Earrings, each with three large pear-shaped diamonds, is not known and while it is possible that they may be Royal Heirlooms, it is thought they may have been acquired by the late Queen in the mid-1960s as an alternative to the larger Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings.
The Queen began wearing the Antique Diamond Girandole Earrings in the late 1960s, with a notable appearance in Malta in 1967 and the State Opening of Parliament in 1968.
Most frequently, the Queen paired the Antique Diamond Girandole Earrings with the King George VI Festoon Necklace and either the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara or the Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara for several prominent occasions like the Dutch State Visit to Britain in 1972, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Tours, the Tour of the Gulf States in 1979, in California in 1983, various CHOGM Banquets, the Aga Khan’s Golden Jubilee Dinner at Buckingham Palace in 2007, and her Canadian Portrait among others.
The Queen often paired the Antique Diamond Girandole Earrings with King Faisal Diamond Necklace from the 1970s up until the 2000s, with notable appearances during her State Visit to Saudi Arabia in 1979, the British State Visit to Nepal in 1986, and the Ghillies Ball at Balmoral in 1991.
The Antique Diamond Girandole Earrings were also worn with the King Khalid Diamond Necklace on numerous occasions over the years.
The Queen continued to wear the Antique Diamond Girandole Earrings into the latter years of her life and reign, with a final notable appearance at the Order of Garter Service in 2014. The Princess of Wales has often worn the Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings in recent years, so let’s hope these Antique Diamond Girandole Earrings reappear soon!
