Celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee - A Series

Over the next two weeks we are travelling back in time, 70 years to be exact, to the earliest days of Queen Elizabeth II!

Every major landmark anniversary has an associated stone or mineral - Silver Jubilee (25 Years), Ruby Jubilee (40 years) - and so on. We will explore these in future posts and try to find suitable items from our huge stock to help illustrate them. But first, let us relive the moment of coronation, when it all began...

At Ogden of Harrogate we have two beautiful replica crowns, made by our expert goldsmiths in our workshops in 1937 to mark the coronation of King George VI.  One of these is currently being displayed in our Harrogate window - do come and take a look!

The crown worn for coronations is the Imperial State Crown.

For our Queen's coronation in 1953, the height of it was lowered by one inch.

The Crown is incredibly heavy to wear - good posture is required, something she has in abundance - and includes several famous jewels:

The Cross on the top of the Crown is set with a stone known as St. Edward’s Sapphire, a sapphire taken from the ring (or possibly coronet) of Edward the Confessor. The huge Black Prince’s Ruby (actually a spinel) is set on the front cross pattée. Furthermore, the famous Cullinan II, or Lesser Star of Africa, is set on the front of the Crown. The back of the crown is set with the 104-carat Stuart Sapphire in its band.

From our own Fine Jewellery collection, we wanted to find something suitably regal, and came up with this highly decorative 18ct White Gold and Diamond Ornate Collarette Necklace. With 7.50cts of beautiful diamonds, it would not be overawed even by a crown!

Next time:- the Silver Jubilee in 1977.