Royal China for the Royal Baby Available for Purchase

The official trust of the royal family has released a set of china commemorating the new son of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Royal Collection Trust presented the official range of china Wednesday and has made it available for preorder. The items are decorated with scrolls incorporating the name and birth date of their son (who has reportedly been given the title of Prince of Cambridge), with the lion and unicorn from the Royal Arms supporting the coronet of the duke and duchess of Cambridge, surrounded by oak leaves from the Middleton coat of arms.

The four-piece set was be made in Stoke-on-Trent, a pottery center in Staffordshire, England, by the same potteries that produced the official china celebrating the marriage of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, and marking The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and the 60th anniversary of the Coronation this year. Using methods and techniques that have remained unchanged for 250 years, every item is hand-made from fine bone china and gilded in 22K gold before being gift-wrapped in tissue paper and boxes designed for the occasion.

The items include a pillbox for 30 British pounds ($46), a small loving cup for 39 pounds ($60), a dessert plate for 45 pounds ($70) and a limited-edition loving cup for 195 pounds ($300), of which 2,013 will be produced. Three of the items are pictured above.

All profits from the sale of the china are dedicated to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The Royal Collection is one of the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. It is held in trust by The Queen as Sovereign for her successors and the nation. It is not owned by her as a private individual. The aim of The Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, which receives no public funding, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programs.

“The range is contemporary in style, while maintaining the traditional formality of royal commemorative china,” said Nuala McGourty, Royal Collection Trust’s retail director. “The design also makes reference to the heritage of both parents.

The china can be preordered online by following this link.  

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Princess Catherine’s Bridal Jewelry

Photo by Ben Stansall/Getty Images

Upon her marriage this morning to Prince William, the former Catherine Middleton now has the title of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.

The new Princess’ veil was held in place by a Cartier “halo” tiara, which was lent by The Queen. The tiara was made by Cartier in 1936 and was purchased by The Duke of York (later King George VI) for his Duchess (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) three weeks before he succeeded his brother as King. The tiara was presented to Princess Elizabeth (now The Queen) by her mother on her 18th birthday.

The bride’s earrings, designed and made by London boutique jeweler Robinson Pelham, are diamond-set stylized oak leaves with a pear shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the center. Inspiration for the design comes from the Middleton family's new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves. The earrings were made to match the tiara. The earrings were a personal gift to the bride from her parents for her Wedding Day.

Robinson Pelham also designed and made a pair of diamond earrings for Philippa Middleton, Catherine’s sister. These earrings are more floral in nature to compliment her headpiece during the service.

A tourmaline and diamond pendant and matching earrings were designed and made for Catherine’s mother, Carole Middleton. Two gold stick pins, one with a single gold acorn at the head and the other with an oak leaf, are also worn by the father of the bride, Michael Middleton, and the Bride's brother, James Middleton.

The wedding ring for princess Middleton was designed and made by Wartski, a family owned firm of antique dealers. The ring was fashioned from a piece of Welsh gold that was given to Prince William by The Queen shortly after the engagement was announced.

There will be only one ring, in accordance with the Couple’s wishes.

Wartski is a family jewelry business founded in 1865. Its first establishment was in Bangor and later the business moved to the seaside resort of Llandudno.

Wartski has a history with the Royal Family. It supplied the engagement and wedding rings to Queen Elizabeth’s grandson Viscount Linley when he married The Hon. Serena Stanhope in 1993. They also made the wedding rings (also of Welsh gold) for The Prince of Wales and Mrs. Camilla Parker-Bowles for their wedding in 2005.

Wartski is long-established grantees of the warrants of The Queen and The Prince of Wales.

Photos of the Royal jewelry to come when available.

London Restaurant to Serve a Royal Wedding Piaget Jewelry Giveaway with Champagne

The exterior of Cafe Luc in London.

No, this isn’t a restaurant review. But jewelry loving readers of this website who are in London to attend the British Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton may want to make a special pilgrimage to this London eatery.

As a way to celebrate the Royal Wedding, Café Luc in the city’s Marylebone district is offering champagne lovers the chance to win Piaget jewelry worth up to 9,000 pounds ($14,850).

Beginning Wednesday (today) through Saturday, customers who order a glass of Louis Roederer champagne will receive a jewelry box containing a barcode. Scan the barcode in the Piaget boutique on New Bond Street before April 6 and you could be the winner of a 9,000 pound watch, or a 3,250 pound ($5,363) necklace.the restaurant did not specify the jewelry being given away.

Café Luc is a new all-day, brasserie-style restaurant that offers French/Belgian cuisine. Belgian restaurateur Luc Van Oostende and his daughter, Julie, own the restaurant, which opened in June 2010. Below is a video promoting the contest.

A Tiara Fit for a Princess

The Royal Asscher tiara superimposed onto Kate Middleton.

Royal Asscher Diamonds has created a sparking tiara for Catherine Middleton to celebrate her royal wedding.

The Amsterdam-based diamond company said the tiara was designed to highlight Middleton’s beauty. Created by Toronto-based jewelry designer Reena Ahluwalia for Royal Asscher, the bejeweled headpiece, currently in production, is set with 36 Royal Asscher Cut diamonds, as well as pear and round shaped white diamonds. The vintage inspired piece is placed on the forehead, inspired by the Strathmore Tiara placement.

"Flowers and buds represent nature's most beautiful creations and here they symbolize the blossomed love between Catherine and Prince William. Royal Asscher wishes the couple all the best and a happy marriage,” Ahluwalia said, adding that she “imbued the tiara with romance and wishes for love that is long-lasting.”

Lita Asscher, president of Royal Asscher Diamond Company, said the tiara's design is an homage to the upcoming Royal Wedding and to the Royal Asscher diamonds that grace Great Britain's Crown Jewels.

The idea, she said, is to, "Bring back the love for royal pieces and show that the tiara does not have to be old fashioned, but can be beautiful and romantic and modern all in one."

Lita Asscher, also said that this tiara will not be duplicated. "It is so unique that we would only make one."

If Middleton does choose to wear a crown on her wedding day, she will no doubt select one from the royal collection. However, it is not out-of-the-question that the Royal Asscher tiara would be worn by Middleton in some capacity, particularly when taking into account the Asscher family dynasty’s influence on the diamond industry and on Great Britain’s Crown Jewels since establishing the family owned company business in 1854.

In 1902, The Asscher Diamond Company cut the Excelsior diamond, found in 1893 and weighing 971¾ carats, into ten stones. It was the largest known diamond in the world until 1907, when the larger Cullinan diamond was found.

The Cullinan diamond is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106 carats. The diamond was presented to Great Britain’s King Edward VII who asked the Asscher brothers, Joseph and Abraham, to cleave it. Joseph cut the stone into 9 large gems and 42 small gems. The largest polished gem from the stone is named the Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, at 530.4 carats. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone is called the Cullinan II, or the Lesser Star of Africa, weighing 317.4 carats. Both stones can be found on Great Britain’s Crown Jewels.

The Imperial State Crown (pictured above), one of the Crown Jewels, contains the Cullinan II, the Black Prince’s Ruby and the Stuart Sapphire. It has a total 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies. The Crown Jewels are worn by Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of Parliament and at the conclusion of the Coronation service. As the most frequently worn royal crown, the Imperial State Crown has constantly been replaced. Due to its constant usage, it is also the crown that requires the most outside repairs and recasting. 

The Crown Jewels also include the Sovereign’s Sceptre (pictured above), atop which the Great Star of Africa, or Cullinan I is mounted. The Sceptre was especially redesigned after the discovery of the Cullinan diamond. The Great Star of Africa can be removed from the Sceptre to be worn as a brooch.

Future Princess Kate Middleton Wears Links of London Earrings

Catherine Middleton wore a pair of Links of London earrings for the official engagement photograph with Prince William.

They were identified by Professional Jeweller as white topaz Hope earrings, which were worn to complement her diamond and sapphire engagement ring. It’s the same ring that William’s father, Prince Charles, gave to his mother, Princess Diana, on February 24, 1981.

They were photographed by renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino in the Council Chamber in the State Apartment in St James’s Palace.