Jewelry brands and organizations rushed to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II (pictured), following her death on Sept. 8 at age 96.
Many noted that Britain’s longest-serving monarch was a frequent jewelry wearer and fan. In July, some of her best-known pieces were displayed at Buckingham Palace in honor of her Platinum Jubilee.
One TikTok video, showing the queen’s “cheeky” response to the elaborate protocols surrounding the crown jewels, went viral following her death.
“I like the Black Prince’s ruby,” she said, merrily spinning a crown.
Her Majesty’s death has already impacted one noteworthy event on the fashion calendar.
While London Fashion Week, scheduled for Sept. 16–20, will go ahead as planned, organizer the British Fashion Council has asked that “nonessential” events, such as parties, be canceled out of respect for the queen’s death.
Burberry has already canceled its fashion week event and at publication time had turned its home page into a tribute to the queen.
Luxury U.K. department stores Liberty and Selfridges have closed their doors until Sat., Sept. 10, as a sign of respect.
Others remembered some of the queen’s jewel-related controversies.
In 2019, some suspected that Queen Elizabeth was engaging in “brooch warfare” when she showed up for a visit with then-President Donald Trump sporting a pin given to her by Barack and Michelle Obama.
Her death also reignited a long-running controversy about the Koh-i-Noor, the legendary 105.6 carat diamond whose ownership has long been claimed by India. (Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have also laid claim to the gem.)
Others debated whether the royals had true rights to another renowned diamond, the 530 carat Great Star of Africa.
On the other hand, jewelry brands and groups, particularly those based in the United Kingdom, solemnly paid their respects on social media.
The U.K.’s National Association of Jewellers tweeted: “We join the nation in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and thank her for her unwavering service.”
We join the nation in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and thank her for her unwavering service. pic.twitter.com/0BQg48vcVZ
— The NAJ (@UKNAJ) September 8, 2022
“An era has ended, and new one has begun,” CIBJO, the World Jewellery Federation, wrote on LinkedIn. “Her Majesty will remembered by us all in the jewelry world. Condolences to our British members and friends, and all those her lived in her realm and Commonwealth.”
Signet Jewelers’ U.K. division wrote: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. All of us at H.Samuel and ERNEST JONES join the nation in universal grief as we mourn the loss of an extraordinary monarch. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family.”
De Beers Group tweeted that Queen Elizabeth’s “unwavering strength, resilience, and love have been an inspiration.”
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Throughout her seventy years of service her unwavering strength, resilience, and love have been an inspiration. We thank her for her service and offer our sincere condolences to the Royal Family. pic.twitter.com/P6iIajBQ7c
— De Beers Group (@debeersgroup) September 8, 2022
Pandora’s U.K. division called the queen “an extraordinary woman [that] inspired so many during her monumental, 70-year reign.”
Watches of Switzerland offered its “deepest condolences to the Royal Family and we give our gratitude for the extraordinary life of Her Majesty the Queen, our longest-reigning Monarch.
“Our sadness at this time is shared by people across the globe, as we proudly remember with great affection the lifetime of service Her Majesty devoted to her nation and the Commonwealth.”
Photo courtesy of the Bath & North East Somerset Council
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