Expert jeweller Leslie Field described the piece as a “cabochon sapphire brooch surrounded by two rows of diamonds with a pearl drop hanging from a collet diamond”.
Later in 1930, King George V’s wife Queen Mary purchased the sapphire, diamond, and pearl brooch for £2,375, which exceeded the brooch’s auction estimate, set between £1,400 and £1,900. This would make the brooch worth roughly £183,468.98 in 2022.
In 1953, Queen Elizabeth inherited all of Queen Mary’s jewels, including the brooch. She began wearing the piece in the 1950s, choosing it for important state occasions abroad.
This adds a sentimental touch to Princess Anne’s decision to wear the brooch for her important occasion abroad in Uganda.
