Sunday Brooch: The Centenary Rose

What does one brooch-loving queen get another brooch-loving queen for her big birthday? A brooch, of course!

The Centenary Rose Brooch

For the perfect trinket to mark her mother Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday, Queen Elizabeth II turned to G. Collins & Sons jewelers in 2000. The result was this brooch, the Centenary Rose: a pink Queen Elizabeth rose hand-painted and carved in reverse intaglio in rock crystal set in a frame made with 100 brilliant-cut diamonds.

The Queen Mother

Sadly, the Queen Mother didn’t have a tremendous amount of time to enjoy her gift: she died in 2002 at the age of 101.

Queen Elizabeth

On her death, the brooch came back to the queen, and it’s since made quite a few appearances. Being a gift she herself commissioned, it’s not hard to see both the sentimental and aesthetic appeal here for her.

Queen Elizabeth

In fact, she was so pleased with the design that Collins & Sons ended up her personal jeweler, a Royal Warrant holder and in 2007 Harry Collins replaced Garrard as the official Crown Jeweler – a position held by Garrard since 1843. (Collins gave up the post and Martin Swift of Mappin & Sons silversmiths was appointed in July of 2012.)

Queen Elizabeth wore the brooch for her 2002 Christmas message - her first since the passing of her mother and sister. Pictures of her mother, father, and sister are next to her.

Photos: Daylife/Corbis/BBC/PA/Polfoto