2. The Diamond Stomacher of Queen Mary
Donn by: Mary the Queen
Since the late 1800s:
Value Estimate: $500k–$1,000,000*
For those who are unaware, a stomacher is also known as a dévant de corsage. Wearers hang this jewelry down to their midsection from the central panel of their dresses. Diamonds encrusted in gold and white gold comprised the extravagant diamond stomacher that Queen Mary possessed. The stomacher was composed of three brooches of varying sizes, each fashioned from a dazzling pear-shaped pendant.
The Diamond Stomacher of Queen Mary ©Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The stomacher was given to Queen Elizabeth II by Queen Mary, who altered it and made it into a brooch she could wear on her sash. Since the late fourteenth century, when dressmakers started making triangle-shaped panels for women’s gown bodices, stomachers have been worn as jewelry.
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