The mysterious crown-jewel set with a brand-new tiara
The necklace is a belt
The Rose-Cut Diamond Set does not appear to show up in the preserved bills from the jewellery firm C.M. Weisshaupt und Söhne, which in 1840–42 mounted the Danish crown jewels in their current fittings.
For decades, the set was viewed as a long necklace with a corsage (brooch). Finally, however, it was linked to a bill from the jewellery firm, dated 29 March 1842. The bill mentions a belt, which turns out to be the actual purpose of the presumed necklace.
The Rose-Cut Diamond Set is intended as a chain to be worn around a woman’s corseted waist with the large pendant, the corsage, in the centre. The pendant can be broken up and worn as two separate pieces.
Stitched onto the dress
Right up to the time of the First World War, Danish queens wore a corset to achieve the fashionable hourglass figure. Even so, however, the belt was not intended to go all the way around the waist. Tiny loops distributed along the length of the belt and at the ends reveal that it was probably stitched onto the dress.
In Queen Caroline Amalie’s time, in addition to the narrow waist, fashionable dresses often included a long train. Fastened on the back, the train would cover this part of the waist, so the belt was only meant to decorate the front of the dress.
Queen Lovisa knew that the chain was intended as a belt. We can see this in a large portrait that shows her wearing it around her waist. Lovisa took great interest in the crown jewels and used loose pearls and precious stones to create additional pieces for the collection. Today, this jewellery is on display at the Amalienborg Museum.
The set was created in 1840 by the jewellery firm C.M. Weishaupt & Söhne in Hanau, for Christian VIII’s consort, Queen Caroline Amalie (1796–1881).
The rose cut creates facets on the diamonds that catch the light and produce a soft glow reminiscent of rosebuds.
Princess Charlotte Amalie (1706–1782) wanted for her brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds to be included in the crown jewels.
Diamonds from the belt are used to create a tiara
The tiara is designed as so-called bandeau – a head band to be worn as a hair accessory – consisting of a single row of rose-cut diamonds. Thus, Queen Mary can now also wear the beautiful rose-cut diamonds from the belt in a tiara: the rose-cut diamond tiara.
Continuing the tradition
With this new design, Queen Mary continues the tradition initiated by previous queens of adapting the Danish crown jewels to contemporary fashion. This makes the Rose-Cut Diamond Set more versatile and more likely to be worn on royal occasions, which was exactly the point when the Danish crown jewels were created through the last will and testament of Queen Dowager Sophie Magdalene in 1746.
