Today marks the Anniversary of the Death of Princess Grace of Monaco, who passed away on this day in 1982! The award-winning American Actress who became the glamorous Princess Consort of the tiny Mediterranean Principality, Princess Grace compiled a spectacular Jewellery Collection, which included this Van Cleef & Arpels Sapphire Brooch!
Bains de Mer Tiara | Diamond Tiara | Cartier Diamond Necklace | Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Tiara | Ruby Tiara | Empress Joséphine’s Diamond Tiara | The Jewels of Princess Grace of Monaco
In the days leading up to their Wedding, Prince Rainier III presented this Van Cleef & Arpels Brooch to Grace Kelly which was composed of a cluster of sapphires surrounded by diamond petals which form a daisy. The stones reported belonged to Maria Caterina Salѐ, a wealthy Genoese Heiress married to Prince Honoré III of Monaco in the 18th century.
During the two days prior to their Wedding Prince Rainier III wanted to give Grace as many of the Royal Jewels as he could. Literally every ten or fifteen minutes he would call her off to the side and give a new piece. Very few came with explanation or the history of the jewels, as the Prince really wasn’t familiar with the background story. A diamond and Sapphire brooch was one of the first given to her, because the Prince knew of Grace’s love for flowers, and the archivist had told him of the time period and of the Princess who owned it. Her name was Princess Maria Caterina and she reigned at the time of the American Revolution. To Rainier, a perfect match for his new Princess. This ‘Piece of History’ belonged to a woman as beautiful as his new Princess.
Maria Caterina Salѐ (1737-1813) was the daughter of Giuseppe Maria Brignole Salѐ, 7th Marchese di Groppoli, of the Republic of Genoa, Italy. As her father was the Genovese ambassador to France, Maria Caterina and her mother frequented the Royal Court of Versailles where Maria Caterina was called “the most beautiful woman in France”.
The Prince of Monaco Honoré III wanted to marry Maria Caterina because of her beauty and dowry and soon seduced her. Her father, however, disagreed because of the bad reputation of Prince Honoré as well as the prospect of the prince inheriting his fortune. He relented only after intervention by French King Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour, giving his consent in 1757, she was 20 years old.
Exactly how and when Princess Maria received this Brooch is lost to history and probably will never be known. But Grace Kelly, soon to be Princess Grace de Monaco, received it on April 16, 1956. On this day, the Brooch was passed from “the most beautiful woman in France” to a woman who was considered “one of the most beautiful women in the World”.
The Sapphire Daisy Brooch was notably worn by Princess Grace for a Reception at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, during the couple’s State Visit to Italy in 1959.
Princess Grace also wore the Van Cleef & Arpels Sapphire Daisy Brooch for several events and portraits in the 1960s, including an iconic series taken by Paris Match in 1966.
The brooch was worn with long gowns as a formal jewel and was also used for every day wear particularly with a fine scarf. Grace was also photographed once, wearing the brooch in her hair.
Another notable appearance of the Sapphire Daisy Brooch was on a visit to Canada in 1967, shortly before Princess Grace suffered a miscarriage while visiting Expo ’67.
The Van Cleef & Arpels Sapphire Daisy Brooch was also worn by Princess Grace for a Gala with Begum Aga Khan in Monte Carlo in 1974 as well as the Cannes Film Festival in 1975.
Princess Grace continued to wear the Van Cleef & Arpels Sapphire Daisy Brooch for Galas and Portraits into the late 1970s, among them a striking portrait by Gianni Bozzacchi with her Van Cleef & Arpels Earrings in 1976.
After her death in 1982, the Van Cleef & Arpels Sapphire Daisy Brooch passed into the ‘Palais Princier Collection’, and has been displayed along with some of her other jewels, like at the ‘Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess’ Exhibition at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto in 2011.
Bains de Mer Tiara | Diamond Tiara | Cartier Diamond Necklace | Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Tiara | Ruby Tiara | Empress Joséphine’s Diamond Tiara | The Jewels of Princess Grace of Monaco
