nizam of hyderabad
Elizabeth II

The Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace

The then Princess Elizabeth received the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace as a wedding present by the Nizam of Hyderabad, together with a tiara. The Nizam, who did not come over for the wedding itself, gave instructions to Cartier that Princess Elizabeth could choose whatever she wanted. The necklace she picked originally came into Cartier’s stock [read more]

The Flame-lily Brooch
Elizabeth II

The Flame-lily Brooch

The Flame-lily brooch was a present to the then Princess Elizabeth from schoolchildren in Southern Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe). The schoolchildren had each donated a ticket (three old pence). The brooch was designed by Len Bell from the Salisbury (Harare) jeweller and then made by jeweller Eric H.S. Kippin, who had trained at Cartier. The [read more]

Queen Elizabeth II's engagement ring
Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II’s engagement ring

On 9 July 1947, the engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten was announced. From Buckingham Palace came the announcement, “It is with the greatest pleasure that the King and Queen announce the betrothal of their dearly beloved daughter the Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, RN.” Elizabeth’s engagement ring consisted of diamonds taken from [read more]