Her Majesty The Queen has undoubtably donned some iconic looks in her decades. She’s a master of colour-cordination and colour-blocking, so much so that people bet on which shade she might wear to certain events. Reportedly she once said “If I wore beige, nobody would know who I am.”She’s the heroine of hats too. From flower-embellished toppings of the 70s, to the pageboy hats of the 90s and of course the legendary boater of, well, always.
However, it would be ignorant to ignore the most important part of her look, in the opinion of many. A piece below the hat and pinned onto her kaleidoscope range of elegant colours.
It is the delicate, yet powerful presence of the brooch. An item that was once the ultimate statement piece in eras gone by, and for Her Majesty, still is the ultimate drip.
Recently, headlines started to circulate around the Queen’s most recent brooch choice. Why? Are people really that bored, you might think. Slow down, tender cynic. Upon some investigation, there’s actually a pretty gorgeous and close-to-home story behind it.
The mystery giftÂ
A few years back, creative and renowned South African jewelry designer, Kevin Friedman got a request to do a commission.
He was well celebrated at the time, and so when the Botswana Government called upon his services, it definitely wasn’t without merit.
The catch? They never told him who the piece would be gifted to.
Thus, Friedman went on to create the delicate gold and 11 pear-shaped diamond piece design. Later on, upon perusing through the pages of fashion magazine Marie Claire, he would find his very design sitting gorgeously against a pastel peach look belonging to none other than Queen Elizabeth.
And recently, the Queen was spotted wearing the same brooch again, two years later.
Why is the piece so special?
Friedman has been described as a creative who is fascinated by distinctive art in South Africa. So, his creations are incredibly well-received for their ability to merge South African art with luxury, featuring a renaissance flare.
His work is a tangible paradox that combines everyday items and precious metals, making the paradox wearable art.
An example of his work is the $16 million Ponahalo Necklace which is a combination of 316,15 carat diamonds and then combined with beads and safety pins to create a Marie Antoinette necklace.
Another example? A Ndebele bead and diamond choker that Charlize Theron modelled.
The piece that the Queen seems to like so much depicts “a spray of sorghum (or millet, a major crop in Botswana)” delicately expressed in gold and diamonds.
“Kevin, did you that Her Maj wore your fabulous brooch yesterday?” the Facebook post alerted Kevin G Friedman casually.
For a lady who has literal treasure chests of jewels at her disposal, there’s a kind of warm feeling in knowing she seems to be fond of the South African creation with Botswana’s humble crop as the muse.
It’s equally as wonderful to think that there are designers who exist and are being praised for their simplistic, local focus that are being worn by the epitome of royalty.
Picture: Facebook @Gary Peterson