During the presentation of the King Willem I Awards, Máxima didn’t just wear some glitter…
My eye first fell on the large, imposing bow brooch on her shoulder. It is a jewel with pink diamonds that has been through a lot over the years. The bow brooch came into the Orange collection in the nineteenth century via Queen Sophie, the first wife of King William III. However, the diamonds and pearls of this jewel come from the estate of her mother, Catherine Pavlovna, born Grand Duchess of Russia, Queen of Württemberg. It is certain that the brooch contains stones from the Russian Tsar’s possession, including six extremely valuable pink diamonds, mined in Brazil. (Source: Edwin Fellner of Dutch Royal Jewels)
As you can see in the close-up below, the brooch can also be worn in a longer version.
In addition to the impressive brooch, Máxima also wore a ‘new’ ring.
I deliberately put the word new in quotes, because although it is the first time we have seen Máxima with it, the jewel has been around for a while. The large diamond comes from the wide bracelet that Princess Juliana received for her wedding in December 1936. The generous giver? A large delegation of Indian royal houses. After the jewel served for several decades in its original form, it was subsequently transformed into two narrower bracelets. The large diamond circled below appeared in a ring for Princess Beatrix in 2016.
And now, almost seven years later, Máxima also wears the ring with an Indonesian history. I think it is a feast for the eyes. You?
