Happy Birthday to Queen Sonja of Norway, who turns 87 today! The artistic commoner who became the first Norwegian-born Queen of Norway, Queen Sonja’s jewellery collection includes a nice mix of heirloom jewels and modern acquisitions, which includes the ‘Oslofjord’ Bracelet/Tiara!
In 1949, Crown Princess Märtha received a stunning seed pearl bracelet, with a clasp featuring an emerald set in diamonds, that was a gift from the Norwegian shipping company Amerikalinje when she christened their ship ‘Oslofjord’.
Crown Princess Märtha notably paired the ‘Oslofjord’ Bracelet with the Napoleonic Emerald Parure for the Wedding of Princess Ragnhild of Norway and Erling Lorentzen, and also likely wore it for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II the following month.
Crown Princess Märtha also wore the ‘Oslofjord’ Bracelet with the Napoleonic Emerald Parure for Crown Prince Olav’s 50th Birthday Banquet at the Akershus Fortress in Oslo in July 1953, shortly before her final illness.
Over a decade later, the newlywed Crown Princess Sonia wore the ‘Oslofjord’ Bracelet as a Tiara, paired with the Necklace and Earrings of the Napoleonic Emerald Parure, to attend a Banquet for the Civil Servants’ National Association’s 50th Anniversary in Oslo in December 1968, which was her first public Gala event following her Wedding.
In 1995, the ‘Oslofjord’ Bracelet was among the Jewels, which included Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara and Queen Sofia’s Pink Topaz Tiara, that were sent to the crown jeweller Garrard’s in London, where they had been cleaned and restored, ready to be sent back to Norway when they were stolen by three armed robbers. While the original jewels were never recovered, some pieces, like Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara and the ‘Oslofjord’ Bracelet were recreated by Garrard.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the clasp of the recreated ‘Oslofjord’ Bracelet was usually worn as a clasp of a Pearl Choker, most notably on State Visits to France, Canada, China and Italy.
The most notable appearance of the ‘Oslofjord’ Bracelet came in 2010, when Queen Sonja paired it with the Napoleonic Emerald Parure for the Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010. There is no doubt this versatile jewel will be worn for years to come!
