Aside from access to the Royal vaults, Queen Camilla has a number of items of jewellery in her collection that have been inherited from her family, including the turquoise demi-parure. This set consists of a necklace and pair of earrings, comprised of diamonds and turquoises, with royal watchers seeing the pieces be worn separately but also together.
This demi-parure originated from Camilla’s paternal side of the family, unlike some jewellery which she inherited from her mother’s side. However, specific information regarding the sets origin or how it was acquired by Major Shand has not been publicly documented.
The necklace features a large oval-shaped turquoise stones, each encircled by a halo of round-cut diamonds. These turquoise and diamond clusters are connected by diamond-set motifs, creating a continuous, elegant design. The necklace also includes delicate diamond fringes interspersed between the turquoise clusters.
Whilst the earrings consist of a central cabochon turquoise stone encircled by a halo of round-cut diamonds, arranged in a floral motif.One of the earliest public appearances of the necklace was in 1998, when Camilla wore it to celebrate the Prince of Wales’s 50th birthday at Highgrove House.
In 2005, following her marriage to the then-Prince Charles, she donned the suite for her first Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace, complementing it with the Cubitt-Shand Tiara. In the same year, Her Majesty wore the necklace in a portrait taken by Mario Testino at Clarence House.
In 2012, during an official visit to Norway, Camilla wore the Turquoise Suite to a gala dinner hosted by King Harald and Queen Sonja at the Royal Palace in Oslo.
More recently, the necklace was seen at the Italian State Banquet in April 2025.
Featured image: Mario Testino – Instagram
