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Today marks 21 years since the sad passing of Princess Margaret, and she wore many iconic longstanding pieces of jewellery. Princess Margaret was known for her outrageous wit and her flair when it came to fashion.
She was also one of the biggest royal ruby collectors. One of her most precious ruby pieces was the ruby and diamond flower brooch that the Princess wore throughout her entire adult life.
Jewellery experts at UK retailer Steven Stone have taken a close look to find out more about the brooch, including where it is now.
Maxwell Stone, the Creative Director at Steven Stone spoke to Express.co.uk to explain a bit more about the brooch.
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He said: “Princess Margaret’s ruby and diamond flower brooch is a spectacular piece that the Princess wore for her entire life.
“Featuring an oval ruby stamen and leaf decoration, the dazzling piece was made by Cartier in 1948 as a clip brooch but was later converted to a pin-fitting brooch.
“One of the most precious stones in the entire world, rubies are excellent stones to have to hand if you are in the midst of controversy or conflict, which Princess Margaret often was.
“I’d estimate the brooch to be worth approximately $50,000.” This equates to £43,000 in British Sterling.
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The Princess wore the brooch at the Epsom Derby in May 1955, the London premiere of “Doctor Zhivago” in April 1966 and the Royal European Preview of the musical “Applause” in London.
Unfortunately, the brooch is no longer owned by any member of the Royal Family.
After Princess Margaret’s sad death, her children, David Linley and Lady Sarah sparked controversy by announcing that they’d be holding an estate sale of their mother’s belongings.
The purpose of the estate sale was to settle an inheritance tax bill.
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The auction included over 800 family heirlooms that included Princess Margaret’s wedding tiara, which went for a staggering £926,000.
Proving to be incredibly popular, the brooch sold for a whopping £108,000.
Daena Borrowman, the PR, Social and Digital Marketing Manager at jewellerybox spoke to Express.co.uk about how Princess Margaret’s style differed from that of the late Queen’s.
She said: “While her elder sister, the Queen dressed for duty, Princess Margaret – a true maverick all her life; dressed for pleasure.
“Though both sisters shared a taste for furs, heels and jewels, Princess Margaret’s choices were the bolder of the two sisters. Where the Queen’s sense of glamour was dignified and elegant, Princess Margaret’s was daring and dramatic.
“She could pull off everything from a gold kaftan to futuristic sunglasses. In her heyday, her outfits had the most beautifully cinched waists and the most unique sleeves in the room.
“She loved interesting jewellery, unique prints, daring hemlines and big hairdos.
“As she lived a far more laidback life than her sister, she had the freedom to make fashion choices that made you look twice.”
