The Delhi Durbar Necklace and Cullinan VII Pendant is a “set with eight cabochon emeralds, three cushion-shaped, four oval and one lozenge-shaped, in cut-down gold and pave-set diamond collets, between six large brilliants in platinum claw settings, on a double platinum chain set with 94 small brilliants, the central emerald suspending a pave-set pear-shaped emerald on a detachable chain of 12 graduated small brilliants, and a marquise brilliant (Cullinan VII) on a detachable chain of ten graduated small brilliants.”1
The emeralds in the necklace were bought by the Duchess of Cambridge (Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel) shortly after her marriage in 1818. They were made into a necklace sometime in the 1820s, and she gave this necklace to her daughter, Princess Mary Adelaide, later Duchess of Teck, in 1857. Not all of the emeralds were used for the necklace, and Augusta bequeathed these to her daughter as well in 1889.
When Mary Adelaide died in 1897, the emeralds were left to her second son, Prince Francis of Teck. When he died in 1910, he left all the jewellery to his mistress, the Countess of Kilmorey. Francis’s sister, Queen Mary, then purchased them from the Countess.
The jeweller Garrard then created a new necklace as part of a parure created for the Delhi Durbar. Queen Mary’s husband bore the cost of this as a present for her birthday.
The diamond is detachable and can be used with the Cullinan VIII brooch.
Queen Elizabeth II inherited the necklace in 1953 and usually combined it with the Vladimir tiara when it was hung with emeralds.
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