Today marks the 110th Anniversary of the Birth of Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, who was born on this day in 1915! The daughter of the 1st Marquess of Crewe and granddaughter of Hannah de Rothschild, Countess of Roseberry, who married, and later divorced the 9th Duke of Roxburghe, the Duchess possessed a magnificent jewellery collection, which included this spectacular Cartier Pearl Suite!
Cartier Diamond Tiara | Cartier Pearl Suite
A striking pair of Cartier Natural Peral and Diamond Earrings, each of chandelier design, set with light brownish gray to greyish brown natural pearls in circular- and single-cut diamonds, a Cartier Pearl and Diamond Double Clip Brooch, and also a Pearl and Diamond Necklace. American Heiress Mary Goelet, the Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe gave this Cartier Pearl and Diamond Suite to Lady Mary Crewe-Milnes, when she married her only son, the 9th Duke of Roxburghe, in 1935.
The Duchess wore the Cartier Pearl and Diamond Earrings and Necklace with her Art Deco Cartier Diamond Tiara and one of the French Crown Pearl Brooches when she presided over the Queen Charlotte Ball at Grosvenor House in London, cutting the giant birthday cake with 208 candles while a host of debutantes performed a solemn curtsey.
The Duchess of Roxburghe retained her Jewels after her acrimonious divorce, with her being forced to leave Floors Castle after a six-week siege, but she wore the Art Deco Cartier Tiara with her Cartier Pearl and Diamond Necklace for the Victoria League Ball in London in 1956.
The Duchess inherited West Horsley Place from her mother, the Marchioness of Crewe, in 1967, where she lived until her death on this day in 2014, at the age of 99. Her magnificent Jewels were in the Bank in London.
Visiting the bank where jewels belonging to the late Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe (and four massive oak chests full of silver and vertu) had been on deposit was something else. Four tiaras and ropes of pearls and diamonds and a huge quantity of treasure emerged from the darkness. Some of the objects wrapped in newspaper from 1953, the year of her divorce, hidden for over half a century. The sea of red leather cases and bespoke Cartier cream boxes (each with the initial M in Celtic font) was overwhelming and the contents mind boggling
Following the Duchess’ death, West Horsley Place was inherited by her grandnephew Bamber Gascoigne, who auctioned off much of the Duchess’ jewellery collection to fund the restoration. The highlight of the sale were three splendid Tiaras, as well as the Cartier Pearl Suite, with Earrings fetching 394,000 CHF after an Estimate of 39,000 — 69,000 CHF and the Diamond Clip Brooch selling for 334,000 CHF.
The Cartier Pearl and Diamond Earrings and Cartier Diamond Clip Brooch were acquired by Annette de la Renta, widow of fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, who debuted the Suite at the ‘Oscar de la Renta: The Retrospective’ Benefit Gala at the de Young in San Francisco in 2016.
The next year, Annette de la Renta wore the Cartier Pearl and Diamond Earrings for the Save Venice Un Ballo in Maschera Dangerous Beauty Gala at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.
Annette de la Renta also wore the Cartier Pearl and Diamond Earrings for an Acquisitions Fund Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2018 and will no doubt continue to wear it for years to come!
Cartier Diamond Tiara | Cartier Pearl Suite
Duchess of Roxburghe’s Cartier Tiara
Cartier Pearl Suite
Devonshire Diamond Palmette Tiara
Devonshire Tiara
Devonshire Diamond Rivière
Ruby Clasp
Wellington Tiara
Diamond Earrings
Diamond Tassel Earrings
Buccleuch Diamond Belt Tiara
Buccleuch Emerald Tiara
Buccleuch Mayflower Tiara
Buccleuch Turquoise Tiara
Buccleuch Pearl and Diamond Tiara
Bagration Spinel Tiara
Rosebery Tiara
Diamond Necklace
Westminster Myrtle Wreath Tiara
Diamond Fringe Tiara
Westminster Halo Tiara
Northumberland Tiara
Duchess of Sutherland’s Tiara
Duchess of Bedford’s Tiaras
Marlborough Tiara
Portland Tiara
Duchess of Norfolk’s Sapphire Necklace
Rutland Tiara
Argyll Tiara
Manchester Tiara
Dufferin Tiara
Bath Tiara
Milford Haven Ruby Kokoshnik
Duchess of Devonshire’s Tiaras
Devonshire Parure
Ruby Clasp
Craven Brooch
Insect Brooches
