Today marks the 115th Anniversary of the Birth of Infanta Beatriz of Spain, Princess of Civitella-Cesi, who was born on this day in 1909! The eldest daughter of King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, who married an illustrious Italian Aristocrat and lived a glamours life in Rome, Doña Beatriz possessed a spectacular jewellery collection, which included a pair of enormous Diamond Drop Earrings!
Queen Victoria Eugenie’s Aquamarine Parure | Diamond and Pearl Daisy Tiara | Queen Victoria’s Sunray Fringe Tiara | Bulgari Diamond Necklace | Diamond Earrings
In 1935, the city of Rome was the chosen site for the marriage of the young Spanish Infanta to the Italian Prince of Civitella-Cesi. The event was celebrated with the adequate pomp and circumstance. As stated by tradition, the royal bride’s corbeille de mariage comprised an extensive selection of jewellery given by her own family, her new husband and his relatives, the Italian Royal Family, and several friends and institutions.
King Alfonso XIII presented his daughter with several family heirloom jewels, namely a Tiara with seven large flowers from the collection of the late Queen Maria Cristina, while Queen Ena offered her own Aquamarine Parure. The groom, Don Alessandro Torlonia, commissioned several contemporary jewels from Bulgari, an Italian jewellery house which would forge a close bond with the Torlonia family.
Although never officially confirmed, the Infanta’s large Diamond Earrings, that we are featuring today, could have been created by this same Roman jewellery house around the time of the couple’s marriage. Each top is set with a cushion-shaped diamond within a brilliant-cut diamond surround, suspending large pear-shaped diamonds, weighing approximately 8.16 and 6.90 carats respectively, enhanced by two rows of brilliant-cut diamonds each. Press reports of the time stated that the King of Spain gave her daughter two elongated diamonds to be mounted as earrings. However, it is also probable that such large stones could have been acquired by the very-wealthy Prince Torlonia.
Doña Beatriz started wearing the Diamond Earrings soon after her wedding, when the Infanta was portrayed wearing them with the traditional Spanish peineta and black mantilla for a painting that still looks over Palazzo Torlonia’s private drawing room.
In 1962, Infanta Beatriz paired the Diamond Drop Earrings with her Fleur-de-lys Diamond Necklace and an all diamond version of her Aquamarine Tiara for the Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sofia of Greece at the Royal Palace of Athens.
In 1963, the Infanta wore her Bulgari Diamond Necklace and Bracelet together with the Diamond Drop Earrings for a lavish soirée and fashion show at the Palazzo Farnese in Rome.
Doña Beatriz kept wearing her Diamond Earrings for various family and social events throughout the years and in 1965, they were worn for an Audience with Pope Paul VI attended ahead of the marriage of her youngest daughter, Olimpia Torlonia, to Paul-Annik Weiller.
After the Infanta’s death in 2002, the Drop Earrings were inherited by her eldest son, Don Marco Alfonso Torlonia, VI Prince of Civitella-Cesi. In 2013, the Diamond Earrings were put on sale at Christie’s. They fletched more than 300.000€ at auction.
Queen Victoria Eugenie’s Aquamarine Parure | Diamond and Pearl Daisy Tiara | Queen Victoria’s Sunray Fringe Tiara | Bulgari Diamond Necklace | Diamond Earrings
This article was written by assistant editor, David Rato, who runs the Spanish Royal Jewels account on Instagram!
