Wuthering Heights director Emerald Fennell wears vintage Cartier jewelry with a secret tie to Queen Elizabeth
The jewels made a statement at the Wuthering Heights premiere in London this evening. Margot Robbie led the way in Charlotte Brontë’s bracelet, while Emerald Fennell chose a vintage Cartier tiara—but she wore it as a necklace. She paired the stunning jewels with an Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood red gown.
Fennell at the premiere.
The historic tiara was created by Cartier and commissioned by Mary Cavendish, the Marchioness of Hartington, in 1937. (Notably, Mary was the mother-in-law of both Kick Kennedy and Deborah “Debo” Mitford.) Cavendish, who would go on to become Duchess of Devonshire, wore the tiara at Queen Elizabeth’s 1952 coronation as a necklace:
The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire stands right behind Queen Elizabeth on coronation day.
According to Jeweler’s Journal, “The tiara’s design features a stunning array of large cabochon opals, each exhibiting an intense and vibrant play-of-color. These were famously described as ‘electric’ for the way they seemed to flash with internal fire under the light. Set in platinum, the opals were framed by intricate garlands and scrolls of brilliant-cut diamonds, enhancing their color and creating a dazzling, almost ethereal effect. The choice of platinum, a metal favored by Cartier for its strength and ability to disappear against the brilliance of diamonds, allowed the gemstones to take center stage.”
Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, left, in the tiara in 1957.
It was displayed for the first time at the V&A South Kensington last year. According to a book on that Cartier exhibition, “According to family tradition, the gems, which are of exceptional quality and probably Australian, were supplied by the client, Mary Alice Cavendish—they were a gift from her husband, Edward, Marquess of Hartington, given to her while they were on a government tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1936-37.”
Per the Court Jeweller, “along with the necklace and tiara settings, individual sections of the jewel could be removed and worn as clip style brooches.”
Fennell attends the UK Premiere of Wuthering Heights.
The Hartingtion tiara was on a special loan from Sotheby’s. It was last worn publicly by Lady Louise Burrell, granddaughter of the 11th Duke of Devonshire, at the Royal Caledonian Ball in 2011.
