Chaumet

Formerly in the Collection of Anne Gunning Parker, Lady Nutting (1929-1990) 

Lady Nutting (1929-1990)

Anne Gunning Parker (1929-1990) was a renowned British-Irish fashion model of the 1950s. She was born in Southern Rhodesia to parents related to the Dukes of Hamilton. In the early 1950s, she became a house model for the Irish designer Sybil Connolly and, in August 1953, modelled a Connolly ensemble on the cover of Life Magazine. She frequently collaborated with photographer Norman Parkinson for Vogue, most notably for a series of fashion photographs shot on location in India.

In 1961, Anne Gunning married the British diplomat and Member of Parliament Sir Harold Anthony Nutting, third Baronet Tiverton (1920-1999). He had served in the cabinets of Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden. The Nutting family furthermore owned estates in Scotland and England. After retiring from politics, Sir Nutting was active as an author and lecturer.

This elegant diamond tiara was created by Chaumet in 1960, later it became part of the collection of Sir and Lady Nutting. In fact, Lady Nutting had modelled a Chaumet tiara of similar design in a photo by Henry Clarke published in the May 1953 edition of Vogue France which focused on the upcoming coronation of Queen Elizabeth II later that year.