Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jewelry on Exhibit

A diamond necklace and bracelet given to the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947 for her 21st birthday is one of many diamond jewelry items that have gone on display to the public this summer. On Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth opened an exhibition of her dresses and jewelry at Buckingham Palace.

the Cullinan V Heart Brooch

Every summer for the past 13 years the monarch has opened parts of the palace to the general public. During these occasions, the palace displays a few of the royal collections.

Other items on display include a pair of Boucheron aquamarine and diamond clip-brooches given to the princess by her father, King George VI, for her 18th birthday; a gold, sapphire, diamond and ruby bracelet made by Boucheron to Prince Philip’s design that he gave to the queen on their fifth wedding anniversary interlaced initials ‘E’ and ‘P’, and a Cartier flower brooch, set with a 23.6 carat pink diamond and baguette diamonds.

Among the jewelry pieces that belonged to the queen's grandmother Queen Mary are a bow-shaped diamond brooch with pendant tassels known as Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Brooch and the Cullinan V Heart Brooch, which has the fifth largest stone from the Cullinan cleavings (18.8 carats) at its center. 

The Cullinan diamond originally weighed over 3,000 carats. The Cullinan V was made when the giant diamond was polished

The exhibition runs through September 24.