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Today, we'll inspect the top 10 sparkling pieces from a hefty jewelry box of Marjorie Merriweather Post, one of the most significant jewelry collectors in American history. The heiress to the Post's serial company fortune bought over 200 grand pieces over her lifetime. Her precious collection is compared to those of Elizabeth Taylor or the Duchess of Windsor. After you watch this video, you'll decide which lady's jewelry box is more imposing. We'll view 15 magnificent pieces, starting from an adorable Marie Louise diadem and ending with a dazzling pearl and diamond necklace. You'll see several jewels with royal provenance and one item that suspiciously resembles the Heart of the Ocean pendant that featured in the 1997 romantic disaster film Titanic. Marjorie Merriweather Post's jewelry collection was one of the most prominent ever compiled by an American woman. Her passion for gemstones started when she was a teenager. Her father gifted her a pair of diamond earrings and a ring, and Marjorie wrote a thank you note saying, Thanks for the lovely earrings. I feel so high life. And she lived that high life with impeccable taste and passion. No wonder the slogan of Washington DC home, the current Hillwood Museum, is where fabulous lives. The Marie Louise diadem. It's hard to imagine this magnificent tiara without turquoise. However, the original version was set with bright green emeralds. Naiton, the court jeweler to Napoleon Bonaparte, made the stunning headpiece in 1810 for Empress Marie Louise, Napoleon's second wife. The diadem and its accompanying jewels, a necklace, earrings, and a comb remained in the Empress's family after the fall of Napoleon. Eventually, a French luxury jewelry company, Van Cleef and Arpels, bought it in the 1950s. They remodeled the tiara, replacing the emeralds with 79 Persian turquoise gems. Marjorie Merriweather Post acquired the remodeled version in the 1960s. She had worn it for a few years before donating the diadem to the Smithsonian in 1971. Nowadays, the Marie Louise diadem is proudly displayed at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. Post later commissioned Harry Winston to develop a complimenting turquoise necklace that would match the Marie Louise diadem. In 1967, she wore it to the Red Cross Ball in Palm Beach. The Napoleon Diamond Necklace This stunning diamond necklace was also a brainchild of Napoleon Bonaparte's court jeweler Naiton, who designed it for Empress Marie Louise. Napoleon gifted it to her in 1811 on the occasion of their son's birth. Napoleon paid $410,700 in franc for the sparkling jewel. The necklace featured over 200 diamonds from either India or Brazil. The design was typical for that era. A row of diamonds made up the necklace's main portion, with small and big pendants suspended from it. Marie Louise later bequeathed the spectacular necklace to her sister-in-law, Archduchess Sophie of Austria. Harry Winston eventually purchased the precious necklace and sold it to Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1960. Passionate about philanthropy, she donated it to the Smithsonian two years later. Now you can see it at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. The Marie Antoinette Earrings Marjorie Merriweather Post's jewelry collection included many historic pieces, and these remarkable diamond earrings reportedly have been passed down through French royals. The pendants are really big, measuring 14 and 20 carats. They reportedly originally belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette, and later, Empress Eugénie. Pierre Cartier bought these stunning earrings in the 1920s. Marjorie Merriweather Post was a dedicated patron of the prominent French jewelry house, so she frequently headed to the jeweler's shop. There, she saw the Marie Antoinette earrings and bought them in 1928. She had the earrings remodeled later. Cartier added new triangular studs, and Harry Winston created a lighter platinum replica of the silver setting. Post's daughter, Eleanor Barzan, donated the earrings to the Smithsonian in 1964. Now they're part of an exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. The Maximilian Emerald Ring This stunning ring is another noteworthy piece in Post's collection. Its highlight is a spectacular 21-carat Columbian emerald. The spectacular green gemstone originally belonged to the Austrian Archduke Emperor Maximilian, who reigned as Mexico's emperor in the 1860s. His reign appeared disastrous, and in 1867, Emperor Maximilian was executed. The emerald passed to his widow, the Belgian Princess Carlotta, who returned to Europe. She died in 1927, suffering from mental difficulties. Marjorie Merriweather Post purchased the emerald in 1928. Remarkably, the Smithsonian named the emerald the first important gemstone to enter Mrs. Marjorie Merriweather Post's collection. The stone acquired its opulent ring base in 1949 from Cartier, who developed a spectacular diamond design. Post donated the ring to the Smithsonian in 1964, and now it's also on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. The Diamond and Ruby Demi Parure This suite was reportedly made in France in the 19th century. It originally belonged to Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Leuchtenburg. The magnificent rubies and diamonds include a necklace and accompanying earrings in silver and gold. Marjorie Merriweather Post purchased this stunning Demi Parure in 1966. Today, it's kept at Hillwood, the museum on the territory of her former estate in Washington DC. The Blue Heart Diamond If you watched the 1997 American Oscar-winning movie Titanic, you might remember a spectacular Heart of the Ocean diamond necklace. It featured a massive, 56-carat blue gemstone framed by white diamonds dangling from a diamond studded chain. Rose wore the precious necklace when Jack Dawson drew her portrait. Though the Heart of the Ocean necklace was fictional, the Blue Heart Diamond, owned by Marjorie Merriweather Post, looks pretty similar. Its story is no less fascinating. The Blue Diamond was found in a South African mine at the beginning of the 20th century. As we are used to pure and colorless diamonds, the blue color might seem amazing and unnatural. However, the Blue Heart Diamond has gained its color due to trace amounts of boron in its crystal structure. Parisian jeweler Attanik Eknayan faceted it in 1910. The magnificent stone counted nearly 31 carats. Afterward, Pierre Cartier set the diamond as the centerpiece of a Lily of the Valley necklace and sold it to an Argentinian family, Unzu, who owned the diamond for a staggering 43 years. In 1953, Van Cleef and Arpels bought the gorgeous jewel. The renowned jeweler remodeled the Blue Heart Diamond into a pendant, using two smaller pink and blue diamonds from the original Cartier necklace. The opulent piece was estimated at $300,000. In 1959, Harry Winston mounted the diamond into its present platinum ring setting. Marjorie Merriweather Post purchased the ring from Winston and gifted the Blue Heart Diamond to the National Gem Collection in 1964. Emerald Brooch Marjorie Merriweather Post purchased this incredible brooch in the Cartier showroom in 1923. The spectacular clip in a platinum setting dates back to the 1600s. The pentagonal central emerald is a 17th-century carved Mughal stone, counting 250 carats. To understand its true size, look at the painting of Post wearing this brooch. The piece of jewelry is beautifully finished off with black onyx detailing. The jewelry piece is transformable. It can also be worn as a pendant. Post loved to pair it with a carved emerald necklace of a similar style. Art Deco Sapphire and Diamond Necklace This grand and charismatic necklace with sapphires and diamonds, set in platinum, was also on display in the Cartier shop, when Marjorie Merriweather Post noticed its sparkly angles. Remarkably, it comprises two original bracelets with a brooch as the central element. Cartier intentionally designed the brooch to transform the two bracelets into one magnificent piece. What is even more stunning is that this opulent necklace can be converted into a tiara. Post wore the stunning necklace in the painting by renowned English artist Frank O. Salisbury in 1946. Amethyst and Turquoise Necklace This exquisite necklace boasts an incredible color combination, designed by Cartier in 1950-1951. The earrings of a similar design complemented the amethyst and turquoise necklace. The precious gemstones are in a gold and platinum setting. The combination of five heart-shaped amethysts, five oval-shaped amethysts, one 75 small round and oval-shaped turquoise, and 99 round diamonds looks really stunning. So no wonder Post picked it into her jewelry box. Pearl and Diamond Necklace Marjorie Merriweather Post chose this stunning pearl and diamond necklace for its exquisite details and clasped diamonds. Cartier made this unique necklace in 1939. The design features four strands of pearls attached to an elaborate diamond clasp. Dazzling diamonds are meant to cascade down the nape of the wearer's neck, and the pearls hang down in front. The necklace comprises 188 pearls and 140 diamonds in the strands, while the clasp boasts seven strands of diamonds. Pearl and Moonstone Necklace and Earrings This is actually the last grand set of contemporary jewels Marjorie Post purchased. The precious set was made of large and exquisite Baroque Burma pearls and moonstones by a Kentucky-based designer, George Headley, in 1966. Upon completing his work, Headley sent the set to Post's Palm Beach residence, Mar-a-Lago. The designer asked whether she liked his creation. The ensemble enchanted Marjorie Merriweather Post. She replied to him in a letter, The lovely necklace and earrings are going to live with me. Peridot Gold Bracelet The large peridot mounted on the bracelet originates from Bombay, India. Marjorie Merriweather Post purchased the impressive 120-carat specimen in 1965. Then, she asked North Carolina-born jeweler David Webb to create a stunning bracelet. In 1966, Webb designed a piece of jewelry with peridots and diamonds in gold. Ruby and Diamond Hummingbird Brooch This exotic ruby and diamond brooch was among Post's favorites. She bought it in 1952 and frequently wore it. The antique jewelry is designed as a hummingbird in flight. The brooch originates from France and is similar to a late 19th-century hummingbird brooch from the Parisian jewelry firm of Chaumet. After the southern socialite died, the brooch was sold at Christie's auction in 1982. Its traces were then lost for some time. Marguerite Ruby and Diamond Brooch This lovely brooch was made by Van Cleef and Arpels in Paris in 1969. This magnificent jewelry has become iconic and is placed on the cover of the Hillwood Exhibit's corresponding book Spectacular Gems and Jewelry of the Merriweather Post Collection. Diamond Engagement Ring We decided to end the top 15 of Post's jewelry collection with something deeply personal and her diamond engagement ring. The 17.15 carat marquise diamond engagement ring was designed by Harry A. Myers from New York. In 1958, a wealthy Pittsburgh businessman, Herbert May, presented it to Marjorie Post, asking her the sacramental, Will you marry me? It was hard to refuse with such an imposing gift. It was the fourth and marriage of the southern socialite, which ended in divorce in 1964. Then, Marjorie reclaimed her maiden name. Thus, we now know her as Marjorie Merriweather Post. As you can see, the famed businesswoman and philanthropist used to drape herself in priceless jewels. She was a woman of extraordinarily fabulous taste, and her jewels ranged from unique diamond and sapphire brooches to sophisticated gem-encrusted tiaras. Post preferred emeralds, rubies, and diamonds, but her collection also contained pearls, sapphires, aquamarines, amethysts, and other precious stones. She frequently visited prominent jewelry houses, including Cartier, Van Cleef, and Arpels, Harry Winston, and David Webb, so you'll find numerous examples of their craftsmanship in her opulent jewelry collection. In 1964, she started gifting her jewels to the Smithsonian Institution and urged her friends to do so. Post's love for jewelry was matched by her commitment to philanthropy. She donated many pieces from her collection to museums and cultural institutions, ensuring that the public could appreciate their beauty and historical significance. The Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens in Washington, D.C., which was her former residence, houses a significant portion of her collection. The museum offers visitors a glimpse into her lavish lifestyle and her extraordinary taste in jewelry. Marjorie Merriweather Post's jewelry collection is a testament to her refined taste, appreciation for history, and dedication to preserving cultural heritage. Her collection remains one of the most admired and studied in the world, offering insights into the elegance and opulence of a bygone era. Through her philanthropy and the preservation of her estate, Post's legacy continues to inspire and captivate jewelry enthusiasts and historians alike. Which piece of our Top 15 compilation do you like the most? What do you think about Post's jewelry collection in general? 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