Queen Mary’s Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch has been worn by several generations of royal women, with the piece is now part of Queen Camilla’s jewellery collection.
This brooch features 18 large diamonds around a smaller, detailed gold setting of diamonds, which encircles a large central sapphire. The piece compliments blue and purple outfits well.
Queen Mary bought the brooch in the 1930s along with a number of other pieces, but the history is complicated. From Her Majesty’s Jewel Vault explains this:
Queen Mary acquired the brooch in 1934, and it is said to have been one of the jewels she purchased from the daughters of the late Empress Marie Feodorovna, who sold some of her jewels after her death; there was companion brooch from that Russian collection as well. Other sapphires were purchased by her at that time as well, including the sapphire and pearl brooch The Queen wears today, though it is worth noting that the records that exist from the sale of those jewels list Mary’s last purchase in 1930.
It was actually first worn by Elizabeth II during a visit to Rome and the Vatican in 2014, though it was passed from Queen Mary to Elizabeth upon her accession in 1952. The Queen Mother regularly wore the brooch, so it seems her daughter loaned it to her.
Image Licensed to i-Images Picture Agency. 20/03/2024. Douglas, United Kingdom. Queen Camilla during a visit at the Douglas Borough Council on the Isle of Man, United Kingdom. Picture by i-Images / Pool
Following Elizabeth II’s death, Queen Camilla has recently incorporated Queen Mary’s Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch into her ensemble.
Notably, she wore the brooch during the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey, the 2023 South Korean State Visit and her visit to the Isle of Man in 2024.
Camilla wearing the brooch at the Commonwealth Day Service. (Royal Family)
