GARRARD & CO. | ANTIQUE DIAMOND AND ENAMEL BRACELET Garrard & Co. | 古董 鑽石 配 琺瑯彩 手鏈

PRINCESS MARGARET, COUNTESS OF SNOWDON

Diamond jewels have been closely related to the royalty of the world for thousands of years, serving as an unmistakable symbol of power, wealth and sovereignty. The jewels owned by the British monarchy throughout four hundred years of its continuation includes more than a thousand pieces of historically significant jewels, worn by seven generations of queens.

Princess Margaret was born on the 21^st of August 1930 as the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, as the only sibling and the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II. She was well known for her beauty with a great sense of style, which was reflected in her personal collections of jewels throughout her life. Princess Margaret was fond of diamond jewels and several had originally belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary. Queen Mary had a love and appreciation for jewels and she would wear a tiara and evening gown every night for dinner, even when it was just her and the King, George V, dining together.

When she turned twenty-one, she was gifted the antique diamond bracelet of Lot 1688 together with other fabulous jewels. She was spotted wearing the bracelet many times in public as illustrated in the photographs, indicating her affinity for the piece. Later in life Princess Margaret re-mounted some of her older jewels into modern designs, just as Queen Victoria had done in the past. However, this diamond bracelet was thankfully kept in its original antique setting.

Celebrated for her style and timeless elegance, Princess Margaret combined jewels and fashion to create iconic looks in her time. Famous as one of the most stylish icons of the royals, she revolutionized the way in which the royal dress code would be since accepted. She led a vibrant social life, and many of her adornments were highly sought after as she set trends through her aesthetics. Lot 1688 is a unique bracelet from the late 19^th century, engraved ‘21’ to signify Princess Margaret’s age at the time of celebration.

數千年來，鑽石珠寶總是與全球的皇室密不可分，無疑是權力、財富和至高無上的象徵。在英國君主制延續的四百年中，皇室世代流傳超過一千件深具歷史意義的重要珠寶，曾被歷任七位皇后佩戴過。

瑪格麗特公主生於1930年8月21日，是喬治六世國王和伊麗莎白王太后的小女兒，為當今英國女王伊麗莎白二世的妹妹和唯一的手足。瑪格麗特公主以其美貌和高尚的品味著稱，這亦反映在她一生的珠寶收藏中。瑪格麗特公主熱愛鑽石珠寶，收藏中有些是傳承自她的祖母瑪麗皇后。瑪麗皇后對珠寶非常鍾愛和欣賞，每天晚餐時刻都會身著晚禮服並佩戴皇冠，即使只有她和國王喬治五世一起用餐時。

當她21歲時，獲贈了一批精緻華美的珠寶，當中包括這件拍品編號1688的古董鑽石手鍊。如照片所示，她多次在公開場合被看到戴著這條手鍊。後來的日子裡，瑪格麗特公主將她的一些珠寶重新設計改鑲成現代的款式，就像維多利亞女王過去所做的那樣。然而，此鑽石手鍊從來沒被改造過，自始至終都保留著原始古董珠寶的樣貌。

瑪格麗特公主以其風尚和經典的優雅著稱，她將珠寶與時尚結合，在當時獨樹一幟，引領潮流。她穿梭活躍於社交場合，其裝扮總是彰顯獨特的美學品味，創造流行趨勢，所配戴的首飾因而備受追捧。1688號拍品是19世紀後期鑲製的獨特手鐲，上面刻有“ 21”字樣，紀念瑪格麗特公主二十一歲的生日芳華。

Quote from Mr. Paul Burrell, RVM, Former Royal Butler

“Having known Princess Margaret for over 21 years, I can safely say that Princess Margarey adored clothes and jewellery. Whenever she dressed, whether for public duties or private occasions, she did so in a flamboyant and colourful manner. This bracelet, gifted to her on her 21st birthday, reflects her unique style, as she was seen on many occasions wearing it throughout her life.

Her jewellery collection was magnificent and contained many private and personal gifts from her family and friends. Anyone lucky enough to own a piece of her jewellery would be investing in a piece of royal history.”

“我與瑪嘉烈公主相識超過21年，她對時尚和珠寶的熱愛有目共睹。無論在私人還是公開場合上，她的打扮總是鮮豔奪目。這條手鏈是她21歲的生日禮物，設計反映出她的獨特品味，此後多年她經常在不同場合上配戴。

瑪嘉烈公主的珠寶珍藏瑰麗非凡，當中不少是家族和親友所贈；如有幸收藏曾經屬於她的珠寶，就等於擁有一段皇室歷史的吉光片羽。”