My Favorite's of the Duchess of Windsor's Jewels

The Duchess of Windsor was a woman of noted style. She was always impeccably groomed - even as a child. Her school friends remember her as a person who always took extra pains to make sure she was completely in order before venturing so far as out of her room. It is claimed that when she lived in Paris she would have her hairdressers stop by twice a day to make sure she never had a hair out of place. She always seemed to me to be the ultimate living example of my Grandmother Corry's saying, "You're never too poor to afford a bar of soap." One theory is that Wallis originally paid strict attention to the details of her personal hygiene and appearance because she was a poor relative of a society family in Baltimore and didn't want to be pitied for it. In adulthood she is credited with saying, "I'm nothing to look at, so the only thing I can do is dress better than anyone else."

Wallis' own style was a combination of simplicity and whimsy. It is said that she had her clothes designed as the canvases for her jewelry. She is credited with bringing yellow gold into the mainstream of fashion. She designed jewelry that had many animal themes such as her famous over the shoulder panther and tiger brooches and bangle bracelets. She mixed the colors of pearls to make her pieces more interesting and was bold enough to wear a black pearl in one ear and a white pearl in the other. Designers such as Cartier and Kenneth J. Lane delighted in designing unusual pieces for this trend setting diva - and she was a diva in every sense of the word. Her simple motto, "Never explain, never complain," says it all about this woman who once said of herself, "I have always had the courage for the new things that life sometimes offers. . . " My favorite pieces vary between the more 'courageous' choices and the very romantic.

The replica of the Cartier Flamingo brooch is the first piece of the Duchess' jewelry that I owned. It is the brooch, that since I was a little girl and first aware of who she was, I've always associated with the Duchess. Of course in the 'copy' that I own the beak is gold tone and not a cabochon citrine and sapphire. It is colorful and sparkly though as the pave set body and legs are clear crystal to mirror the diamonds in the Duchess' version and the plumage contains an assortment of calibre-cut stones which resemble the rubies, sapphires and emeralds of the original. Created by Cartier circa 1940, this famous brooch is always a great conversation piece whenever I wear it.

Speaking of conversation pieces, the centerpiece of the Duchess' engagement ring is a 19.77-carat emerald. Emeralds of this quality and size are the rarest gemstone in the world. It was said to have been cut from an emerald as large as a birds egg that had belonged to the Grand Mogul. As was the custom of the Duke and Duchess, this piece of jewelry was inscribed and dated to mark the important event it commemorated. In this case it was inscribed, 'WE are ours now 27X36'. This inscription meaning WE (Wallis and Edward) now belong to each other and the date of October 27, 1936 - the date of their engagement and notably the day the Simpson divorce case was heard. The ring was reset in 1958 with a leafy border each leaf holding a brilliant-cut diamond.

The Duchess also owned a fair share of rubies. My favorite piece of her ruby jewelry is a ruby and diamond bracelet designed by Rene-Sim Lacaze and sold to the Duke by Van Cleef & Arpels in March of 1936. Each link of this beautiful bracelet contains ten cushion shaped rubies surrounded by baguette and circular cut diamonds. The inscription on its clasp reads, 'Hold Tight 27-iii-36'. The Duke often used the phrase 'hold tight' in correspondences with Wallis. It was part of their secret language of love that included their 'WE too' and other pet names. Their correspondences as edited by Michael Bloch are available in a volume titled, "Wallis and Edward: Letters 1931-1937".

Which leads me to my favorite piece of the Duchess' jewelry. As much as I love the other pieces the cross bracelet with its nine inscribed crosses is, to me, the ultimate legacy of their relationship. The bracelet itself is platinum and contains a row of spectacle-set brilliant-cut diamonds. Its clasp is covered in diamonds as well. The way the diamonds are set into the links of the bracelet reminds me of the rosary bead bracelets the Irish Catholics, who were strictly forbidden to practice their religion, used to make. They would take ten stones a space and then a stone followed by another space and hang a cross on its end. This represented one complete portion of the rosary that they could 'repeat as necessary' until they had said one in its entirety. This association of how indomitable the human spirit is and the lengths we will go to live our lives as we see fit seems the basis for the Duke and Duchess' life together.

It is with simple elegance that this chain supports the nine inscribed crosses. The first cross is the most simple of all. It is an unadorned platinum cross inscribed, 'WE are too 25-XI-34' which tells of their love for one another. The second cross contains calibre-cut sapphires and commemorates the Dukes 41st birthday with its inscription, 'Wallis - David 23.6.35'. In 1935 the third cross was added to the bracelet. This one is inscribed 'Wallis - David St Wolfgang 22.9.35 and is set with Rubies and memorialized their trip around this time which included a stop in a small town called St. Wolfgang. Legend has it that it was during this trip that the then Prince of Wales made the decision to marry Wallis.

The next cross, the now King Edward VIII, added to Wallis' bracelet was set with diamonds. This cross is inscribed, 'The Kings Cross God bless WE 1.3.36'. This cross was said to serve as a reminder that Wallis' then husband, Ernest Simpson, had agreed to divorce Wallis after the King promised to always take care of her.

The fifth cross and sixth crosses were given only days apart. The fifth cross is set with Emeralds and reads, 'X Ray Cross Wallis - David 10.7.36' and refers the x-ray that revealed an ulcer scar in Wallis' stomach. The sixth cross was set in Aquamarine (my birthstone). This cross is inscribed "God Save the King for Wallis 16.vii.36'. This inscription refers to Macmahon, an Irish Journalist, who on this date came after King Edward VIII with a loaded gun. Everything turned out well and the King was applauded for his ability to act coolly in the midst of the chaos. Cross number seven is set in sapphire, emerald and diamonds. It reads, 'Our marriage Cross Wallis 3.VI.37 David' and marks there wedding day of June 3, 1937.

The final two crosses were add during the marriage with number eight being set with Amethyst and inscribed, 'Appendectomy Cross Wallis 31.VIII.44'. Wallis left there home in Naussa, the Bahamas to return to New York for her surgery. The ninth cross set with yellow sapphire is inscribed '"Get Well" Cross Wallis Sept. 1944 David' and marks the Duke's fervent hope for his beloved wife's speedy recovery.

I LOVE this bracelet. I love to wear this bracelet. This bracelet, for me, is a symbol of a deep and abiding love shared by two people who sacrificed much for it. Though it's not all that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor gave up - he a kingdom, she her privacy - that makes this bracelet so dear to me; it's the depth of the love they shared - for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health - the courage they showed in choosing to be together and the creative ways they employed to maintain the intimate bond that started with 'WE too' that makes this the most precious of all the Duchess' jewels to me.

All the best,