Happy 60th Birthday to Princess Stephanie of Monaco! The controversial younger daughter of the iconic Princess Grace, who has pursued ‘an unusual career path for a princess’, Princess Stephanie rarely wears jewels, but two decades ago, she made an extraordinary appearance in Princess Grace’s Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Earrings!
In the 1970s, Prince Rainier III of Monaco commissioned these striking pear-shaped cabochon ruby and diamond earrings, reportedly from Van Cleef & Arpels, to coordinate with the Bains de Mer Tiara.
Princess Grace wore the Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Earrings on a number of occasions through the 1970s, usually for gala events, and often paired with pieces from the Bains de Mer Tiara and a coordinating ring.
Another notable appearance of the Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Earrings with the Bains de Mer Tiara came at the Monaco National Day Gala in 1979.
After Princess Grace’s tragic death in a car crash in 1982, the Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Earrings were among the jewels worn by her elder daughter, Princess Caroline, on a couples of occasions in the 1980s, most notably for the Rose Ball in 1985.
More recently, the Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Earrings were worn by Princess Stephanie for the annul Red Cross Ball in 2005, the first in the reign of her brother, Prince Albert II, though they have not been seen since.
