Jewelry’s Early Significance With Women
The art of adornment with jewelry is as ancient as humanity itself.
In the Paleolithic era, there’s evidence of pierced ivory beads.
Egyptian tombs from 4400 BC have remnants of beads made of shells and other materials for the dead to take into the afterlife.
At any time in history, if there are people, there is jewelry.
Emperors, kings, and pharaohs were among the first to wield jewelry’s power, but it was women that would become the centerpiece of jewelry’s influence.
Blame it on the first engagement ring ever given by Archduke Maximilian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. Rumour has it that his clever counsel, not him, selected the gold and diamond ring out of good taste.
Sound familiar?
Or how about the time in 1810 when Napoleon presented a 234 diamond necklace to Marie Louise right after producing his first heir, a son. His extravagant gift made history, becoming the very first “push present” ever recorded.
Perhaps it was Queen Victoria as the original influencer - step aside Kardashians. Her serpent engagement ring from Prince Albert inspired legions of young brides-to-be to desire the same from their betrothed.
Even Queen Elizabeth wrote in a letter saying, “I do admire beautiful stones with all my heart. I can’t help thinking that most women do!” Her exclamation was in response to a collection of jewelry gifted to her by her friend Margaret Greville in 1942.
You couldn’t be more correct, Queen Mother. The historical instances of jewelry used in a grand gesture of love are evidence of that.
Timeless Reasons For Adornment
It’s no secret that women are biased towards beautiful, shiny objects to adorn with - heck, I think that attraction is almost universal - but jewelry is so much more than that.
Jewelry can be everyday talismans that carry your superstitions to empower daily living or remind you of personal truths.
Jewelry can symbolize the steps you took throughout life’s journey to getting a degree, a new job, or becoming a mother.
Jewelry is nostalgia, a collection of memories that you can carry with you that endures long after a significant life event.
It’s no wonder that some of the world’s most famous mothers all had equally illustrious jewelry collections. Their stunning compilations reinforce the relationship between the lavish gift of jewelry and love, from engagement rings to statement pieces.
Here are their stories.
Lily Safra
Lily Safra has a long lineage of putting her power and influence to good work as a dedicated philanthropist while balancing motherhood. Cited by Forbes as one of the wealthiest women alive, she has a taste for the finer things in life, with a jewelry collection to prove it. Including many pieces by her favorite designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal, known to many as JAR.
In May of 2012, Lily donated her private collection of 70 jewelry pieces to the "Jewels for Hope: The Collection of Mrs. Lily Safra" auction held by Christie’s in Geneva.
Some of the more notable pieces include a tourmaline flower brooch with a 30-carat diamond entwined in the center made by JAR in 1982 that fetched $1.2 million. Another JAR creation, a ruby flower brooch containing pavé-set rubies totaling 173.09 carats, went for $4.3 million.
The crown jewel of the auction, however, was the Hope Ruby Ring. A 32-carat cushion-cut Burmese ruby flanked by baguette diamonds in a Chaumet ring sold for a whopping $6.7 million. The $35 million in proceeds went to 20 charitable organizations and earned Lily a standing ovation for her generosity.
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor is renowned for her fame as a Hollywood actress, her tumultuous love life, mother, and philanthropist. However, her famed jewelry collection, gifted to her throughout her many romances, made a significant historical impact when it sold for $156 million - the most expensive private collection of jewelry ever sold.
Her on and off again love of her life, Richard Burton, is responsible for her collection’s most famous pieces. Including the La Peregrina, a 16th-century natural pearl, and a Bulgari emerald and diamond suite. The necklace features sixteen emeralds and has a detachable pendant to be worn as a brooch. Burton purchased the suite while they both were filming Cleopatra.
Included in the Christie’s auction were the Van Cleef & Arpels Reine Marguerités suite, a daisy-themed necklace, earrings, and a brooch set. Taylor borrowed the necklace and earrings to accept the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her work with AIDS awareness at the Oscars in 1992. After the event, she purchased both to commemorate the evening.
Jackie Onassis
Perhaps Jackie O’s transcendent presence in the White House as one of the most revered First Ladies in history laid the foundation of her legacy. Her dedication as a mother and her timeless style was pivotal in her endearment to the public.
Despite her aristocratic background, she was most known for a triple strand of faux pearls designed by Kenneth Jay Lane. Although she favored costume jewelry, her collection also boasted many historical precious jewels gifted to her on her wedding day. Many of which were sold at the Magnificent Jewels auction at Christie’s in Geneva.
One of the more luminary pieces in her esteemed collection was to commemorate the Apollo moonwalk. Ilias Lalaounis created orbit-shaped Apollo earrings commissioned by Aristotle Onassis as a birthday gift to Jackie. The gilded spheres were hammered and pitted, creating a lunar-like surface - a true embodiment of a significant moment in time.
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly was one of the most beautiful style icons, a true gem of the silver screen and beyond. She was no ordinary mother as a princess with an eternal presence of, well, grace, just like her namesake.
Her preference for pearls was legendary, but the gifts she received from Prince Rainer created their place in history equally. Including two engagement rings and a three-strand 64-carat diamond necklace that he gifted to her on their wedding day.
Her collection of jewels from Prince Rainer again illustrates a strong connection between love and jewelry. So much so that her love of Van Cleef Arpels jewelry indoctrinated the design house to be the official jeweler to the world’s most glamorous principality - creating an extravagant stream of pieces to keep the memories of her life and beauty alive.
Salimah Aga Khan
Princess Sallimah, born as Sarah Francis Croker Poole, has worn more fabulous hats than you could ever dream of in your lifetime. Let’s see, where to start?
While schooling in the UK, she became a model and celebrity. Then, she married one of the world’s wealthiest men, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the Ismaili Muslims’ spiritual leader, and became ‘Your highness.’ Then, princess after her divorce, all while being a mother, an activist, and philanthropist.
She also was an avid art and jewelry collector. She carried that passion throughout her many hats. Her affection for the finer things was further encouraged when she married Prince Karim Aga Khan, resulting in a spectacular jewelry collection.
Then, in 1995 Princess Sallimah decided to sell her entire collection, including custom pieces made for her by Van Cleef and Arpels, Boucheron, Cartier, and more. Khan contested her dramatic decision, but the courts ultimately ruled in her favor, and the jewelry was sold at Christie’s auction in Geneva.
A couple of notable pieces was an impressive diamond necklace from Cartier with two 50-carat detachable tear-drop emeralds with five other cabochons totaling 170 carats. Another worth mentioning is an opulent statement necklace made of Burmese cabochon rubies whose main pendant piece could be worn as a brooch. The collection sold for what would be close to $50 million by today’s standards.
Conclusion
So while most of these women are figures with lives that you only read about, say, in a blog post like this, they still share the fundamental truth - jewelry has incredible significance. Ultimately, most of these women leveraged their precious collections to create a legacy that ended up transcending the jewelry itself.
Yes, jewelry tells a story and is intimately personal, but its relevance goes beyond to continue humanity’s journey of imagination, fascination, celebration, and more. Perhaps it’s because you can find a small part of who you are contained within these tiny objects after all.
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