The Untold Story Behind Queen Elizabeth's Favourite Diamond Brooch

The Covenant 5 brooch was made for Queen Mary in 1911. It became one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite pieces of jewelry. She wore it constantly throughout her 70-year reign. And it turns out that the piece has quite a history. Before we start, please support my channel by clicking the like and subscribe buttons. Thank you! On January 26, 1905, a mine manager in Gatunen named Frederick Welch found the largest diamond in the history of the world by accident. The real treasure was practically on the surface of the ground, just 9 meters from the edge of the quarry. Welch spotted something shiny. However, when first found, the Covenant was mistaken for a useless crystal and the premier mine manager initially threw it away. It was only when employees took a closer look that they suspected the unsightly piece of stone might be a real diamond. The Covenant stone, measuring 4 by 2.5 by 2.12 inches, was named after the mining company's chairman, Thomas Covenant. Apart from its unprecedented size, it was unusual for its blue-white color and clarity. The weight of the outstanding find was 3106 carats or 681.35 grams. Most experts agree that the stone found by Welch is only a fragment, a part of a larger diamond, and the part that remained underground is as large as Welch's find, if not even larger. If this is in fact the case, the second part of the Covenant diamond is either still in the bowels of the earth or was split during excavation. The latter, however, is unlikely. Rumors that only part of the diamond diamond had been found excited the imagination of prospectors and anyone who wanted to get rich from undiscovered diamonds. The Covenant was in a Johnson-Burke bank for some time. The high price discouraged buyers. But in 1907, the Covenant was bought by the Transvaal government and presented as a gift to King Edward VII of England in honor of his 66th birthday. The king commissioned the diamond to be treated and cut by Asher's Diamond Co., a Renault jewelry company. In addition to its respectable reputation, the company had experience with rather large stones, such as the Excelsior diamond. The stone was too large to be cut into a single hole, so it had to be split into several smaller gems. However, on the first attempt, the knife used to split the stone broke, but the diamond itself remained intact. It was only after the second attempt that it was successfully split in two. The process of cutting and polishing the stones took almost a whole year. About two dozen carats of the original stone were lost. The result of the Asher's work was nine magnificent diamonds, ranging in size from 530.2 to 4.4 carats, plus 96 smaller diamonds. Today, the nine largest diamonds are all owned by British royalty, and the two largest are in the Crown Jewels. The two largest stones have become the largest colorless and flawless diamonds in the world. They were officially presented to King Edward VII at Windsor Castle in 1909, and were subsequently set at the head of the Sovereign's scepter and in the Imperial State Crown. The other seven main stones were set for Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary, then Princess of Wales, Edward's wife and daughter-in-law. They formed part of five pieces of jewelry. The diamond featured in the brooch under discussion, known as the Cullinan V, is frequently characterized as having a heart-shaped cut. This significant royal diamond boasts a weight of nearly 19 carats. Queen Mary, when strategizing the utilization of the various Cullinan diamonds, envisioned the Cullinan V as a versatile gem, intended for incorporation into diverse jewelry pieces. Notably, she adorned her crown with it during the 1937 coronation and frequently incorporated it as the central element in her honeysuckle tiara. Following the tiara's bequest to Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, a new diamond-centered element was fashioned, but Queen Mary retained possession of the Cullinan V. Typically, Queen Mary opted to showcase the brooch in its exquisite setting, featuring platinum and diamond scrolls and laurels that elegantly frame the Cullinan V, adorned with delightful sunray details. Nevertheless, her creativity knew no bounds, as she innovatively wore the brooch as part of the Grand Deleuze-Bastomacher, and in conjunction with the Cullinan VI and VIII brooch, the Cullinan V brooch illustrates many different types of platinum techniques in design. Knife-edged platinum spokes spread out from the center. Swirls of the metal embrace smaller diamonds on the frame. Milligrain small beads cover the surface and add delicate texture. All these flourishes were possible with platinum because of the metal's strength. Following Queen Mary's passing in 1953, the brooch, along with the majority of her jewelry collection, was bequeathed to her granddaughter, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II. Remarkably, in the 112-year history of this magnificent royal brooch, from its creation in 1911 until 2023, it has only been owned and worn by two royals. It is worth recalling that in 2023, Queen Camilla wore the Cullinan V during her coronation. Camilla wore Queen Mary's crown with the Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds that were part of Queen Elizabeth's personal jewelry collection. Queen Elizabeth II began wearing the Cullinan V brooch early and often after she inherited it from her grandmother. It is featured in numerous photographs taken during her reign. For example, here Elizabeth wears the brooch at the christening of her godson, the 8th Earl of Cardinalvon, in December 1956. The brooch has remained a mainstay of the Queen's jewelry collection for over half a century, and Elizabeth wore it very often on a variety of occasions. For example, during festive celebrations. The brooch has often been placed in the Queen's luggage during royal tours and state visits. For example, in November 2010, she wore it during a state visit to Oman. The Cullinan V is sentimental enough for holidays, majestic enough for diplomatic events, but it is also perfect for a day at the races. Elizabeth loved to wear this brooch to events such as Royal Ascot. The brooch's heart shape makes it perfectly suited for romantic royal weddings as well. Queen Elizabeth II wore a Cullinan V brooch when she and Prince Philip attended their granddaughter Princess Eugene's wedding to Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel in October 2018. In 2020, Elizabeth wore a brooch for an official portrait taken on the occasion of the Duke of Edinburgh's 99th birthday.