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Luxury

Why do Queen Elizabeth and other royals love semi-precious stones? Cartier created bespoke pieces for Wallis Simpson while the British monarch wore red spinels and aquamarines

STORYWilson Lau
Demantoid garnet tiara, Bonhams. Photo: Bonhams
Demantoid garnet tiara, Bonhams. Photo: Bonhams
High Jewellery

  • Semi-precious stones include tourmaline, spinel, garnet, amethyst, peridot, alexandrite, topaz and tanzanite – and European royals love them
  • In Asia, pieces by contemporary designers like Wallace Chan do well at auctions, fetching thousands at Christie’s and Sotheby’s

Beyond the “big three” – rubies, emeralds and sapphires – there is an entire category of coloured gemstones in exuberant hues that are highly sought after by gem aficionados. Sometimes labelled “semi-precious stones”, these coloured gemstones include tourmaline, spinel, garnet, aquamarine, amethyst, peridot, alexandrite, topaz and tanzanite, many of which have been treasured as part of crown jewels of European monarchies.
Perhaps the best-known historical piece with a gemstone in this category is the Black Prince’s Ruby, which is set in the Imperial State Crown of the United Kingdom. The majestic headpiece is often worn by Queen Elizabeth for formal occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. In fact, the Black Prince’s Ruby is a 170ct unfaceted red spinel that dates back to the mid-14th century (all red gems were referred to as rubies in those days). 
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Another famous parure in the UK’s Crown Jewels is the queen’s Brazilian Aquamarines – comprising a tiara, necklace, earrings and bracelet. As gifts to mark the queen’s coronation in 1953, the president of Brazil presented her with a platinum necklace set with nine perfectly matched, large oblong aquamarine stones surrounded by diamonds, along with aquamarine earrings. Later, Brazil also gave the queen a matching aquamarine and diamond bracelet.

A multi-gem suite designed by Adrian Cheng, sold by Christie’s Hong Kong. Photo: Christie’s
A multi-gem suite designed by Adrian Cheng, sold by Christie’s Hong Kong. Photo: Christie’s

The parure was completed with a tiara made by crown jeweller Garrard in the 1957. The present form of the tiara is the result of meticulous redesigning to incorporate four scroll-shape motifs from an aquamarine and diamond head jewel, also a gift from Brazil in the 1960s.

Style icon Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, was passionate about coloured gemstones and bold jewellery. A bib necklace, commissioned by the Duke of Windsor at Cartier Paris, consists of twisted gold links, a heart-shaped faceted amethyst pendant, 27 emerald-cut amethyst stones, one oval amethyst stone in the clasp, and cabochon turquoise and diamonds. Another amethyst and turquoise Cartier piece made for Simpson is a bracelet with five rows of amethyst beads and two of turquoise beads, a star-shaped clasp with a hexagonal amethyst stone within a turquoise and diamond border. It was first sold as part of Sotheby’s Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor auction in Geneva, April 1987.

In Asia, connoisseurs of rare coloured gemstones have splurged on unique pieces. At the Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale in May 2017, Adrian Cheng’s suite of multi-gem jewellery was snapped up for HK$250,000 (US$32,000). It consists of a necklace, bracelet and ring of matching design. The pieces feature angular geometric fringes with large green tourmaline stones, surrounded with bursts of onyx, circular-cut rubies, sapphires and diamonds. The necklace suspends a square-shaped ruby, joined by a similarly set openwork curved band and neck chain with diamond and onyx link details.

Van Cleef & Arpels Paraiba tourmaline, sapphire and diamond ring, sold by Sotheby’s. Photo: Sotheby’s
Van Cleef & Arpels Paraiba tourmaline, sapphire and diamond ring, sold by Sotheby’s. Photo: Sotheby’s