Diamond, the hardest natural material known, carries associations of endurance and longevity. These qualities, allied to the purity, magnificence and value of the stones, have for centuries led rulers to deploy diamonds in regalia, jewellery and precious objects.
London’s Buckingham Palace celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee with more than 10,000 diamonds that will go on show from June 30 to July 8 and July 31 to October 7, during the palace’s summer opening.
This spectacular exhibition at Buckingham Palace will show the many ways in which diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years. The exhibition includes an unprecedented display of a number of The Queen’s personal jewels. The exhibition will reveal how many of these extraordinary stones have undergone a number of transformations, having been re-cut or incorporated into new settings during their fascinating history.
The highlights include items made from the world’s largest diamond, the “Cullinan” diamond, named after the owner of the mine in South Africa where it was discovered in 1905. Several pieces of jewellery, such as the Delhi Durbar Tiara, Queen Victoria’s Fringe Brooch and the Kokoshnik Tiara, are on display for the first time.
