This week marks the 60th birthday of Infanta Cristina of Spain, the second child of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía. Known for her discreet style, the Infanta has rarely been seen wearing big jewellery in public. While Doña Cristina still retains some family heirlooms and modern pieces, others have been sold in the past years — including the Ruby and Diamond Suite which we are featuring today.
Reportedly gifted to the Infanta on the occasion of her marriage to Iñaki Urdangarin in 1997, this parure includes a necklace, a pair of earrings, and a bracelet. Designed with stylised scroll motifs, the set features calibré, baguette, and oval-cut rubies, accented by brilliant-cut diamonds. The suite was crafted by the renowned jeweller Mouawad. 
Doña Cristina first appeared wearing pieces from the Ruby Suite not long after her wedding, most notably at a pre-wedding celebration for Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth in 1998.
In 2004, the Infanta paired the earrings and bracelet from the Ruby Parure with the Spanish Floral Tiara for the pre-wedding gala of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson.
The following year, Doña Cristina wore the same earrings and bracelet again for a Diplomatic Reception at the Royal Palace of Madrid.
In 2010, H.R.H donned the complete suite—including the necklace—for a private birthday celebration in honour of King Philippe of Belgium, then Duke of Brabant, at the Green Houses of the Castle of Laeken.
In 2021, the Ruby and Diamond Suite made headlines when it appeared at a Sotheby’s auction. The striking resemblance to Infanta Cristina’s parure sparked media speculation, with some wondering whether it might be the very same suite or a similar version. In our view, it is highly likely that this was indeed her set, discreetly sold in the years following her separation.
This theory gained further traction last year, when Doña Cristina attended the wedding of her cousin Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark wearing a pair of ruby and diamond fringe earrings borrowed from her sister, Infanta Elena—suggesting HRH no longer owns a similar piece in her personal collection.
This article was written by assistant editor, David Rato, who runs the Spanish Royal Jewels account on Instagram!
Floral Tiara | Mellerio Shell Tiara | Cartier Pearl Tiara | Prussian Diamond Tiara | Queen Victoria Eugenie’s Diamond Earrings | Ruby Clip Brooches | Emerald Brooch | Sapphire Suite | Ruby Suite
