The magnificent Savoy Emerald Choker was created from the last remnant of Queen Margherita’s magnificent Emerald Necklace for the glamorous Princess of Naples, who celebrates her 90th Birthday today:

Queen Margherita’s Musy Tiara | Savoy Tourmaline Tiara | Queen Marie-José’s Sapphire Necklace | Savoy Ears of Wheat and Flower Tiara | Savoy Emerald Choker

In 1841, King Charles Albert of Sardinia commissioned a magnificent Emerald Parure for his new daughter-in-law, Archduchess Maria Adelaide of Austria, from the Viennese jeweller Delsotto, composed of a necklace, a tiara, a devant de corsage, and a pair of earrings.

Based on the portraits, it would appear that the tiara had a square-cut emerald in the centre set in a diamond frame, with three oval emeralds and three smaller square emeralds on sides. There might be pearls somewhere but it’s hard to tell. After the tiara was dismantled, the emeralds from it were used to create other pieces of jewellery.

Whereabouts of the devant de corsage and the earrings is not known although they were probably sold as well. The corset ornaments consisted of two square-cut emeralds in a diamond setting suspended from each other in a brooch form. The earrings were in the same design as the rest of the parure: it was made of a square-cut emerald with a large emerald in diamond setting suspended from it.

The necklace consisted of five square-cut emeralds in a diamond frame, connected to each other by three rows of pearls. The centrepiece was a large rectangle emerald, also in a diamond setting, which weighed 47.7 carats. A smaller emerald pendant was suspended from it, which in turn supported a large pear-shaped emerald.

Queen Adelaide gave the Emerald Parure to her daughter-in-law, Queen Margherita, who was photographed wearing the entire parure before she dismantled the Tiara, which was used to create other jewels.

Several years later, Queen Margherita was pictured wearing the Savoy Emerald Necklace with the Savoy Knot Tiara from the Crown Jewels, as well as the Earrings and Corsage Brooch of Queen Adelaide’s Emerald Parure.

Some of the Emeralds from the dismantled Tiara were used to create the versatile Musy Tiara created for Queen Elena in 1896, which she paired with the Savoy Emerald Necklace for a couple of portraits in the early 1900s, and later wore with the Savoy Knot Tiara in the 1920s until it disappeared from public view for decades.

In 1985, some elements of the Savoy Emerald Necklace came up for Auction as separate lots, but one of the elements is among the few pieces of the Parure which still remains with the House of Savoy, being made into the clasp of a Pearl Choker for the Princess of Naples by 1990, which she debuted it on the Prince of Venice’s 18th Birthday.

The Princess of Naples also wore the Savoy Emerald Choker with Queen Marie-José’s Sapphire Necklace for an iconic portrait taken in the pool.

In 2004, the Princess of Naples wore the Savoy Emerald Choker for a spectacular Gala Dinner at El Pardo Royal Palace, on the eve of the Wedding of Don Felipe, Prince of Asturias, and Doña Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano.

More recently, the Princess of Naples wore the Savoy Emerald Choker for the Wedding Ball of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco in 2011. With a new Consort of the Head of the House of Savoy and two adult granddaughters, let’s hope this Royal Heirloom appears again soon!

Queen Margherita’s Musy Tiara | Savoy Tourmaline Tiara | Queen Marie-José’s Sapphire Necklace | Savoy Ears of Wheat and Flower Tiara | Savoy Emerald Choker

Queen Margherita’s Musy Tiara