LUXURY

走入歐陸王室的世界， 藉寶石傳承親情與歷史的光輝

Text / 劉允華 Photo / Ravenel International Art Group

INTO THE WORLD OF EUROPEAN ROYAL FAMILIES, AS THE GEMSTONES CARRY THE LIGHT OF HISTORY AND LOVE THROUGH GENERATIONS

◀ 左：0.86克拉水滴形艷彩粉紅色鑽石配粉紅色鑽石戒指，附GIA證書 LEFT：A 0.86 CARAT PEAR-SHAPED FANCY VIVID PINK DIAMOND AND PINK DIAMOND RING 右：0.86克拉水滴形艷彩粉紅色鑽石配粉紅色鑽石戒指，附GIA證書 RIGHT：A 0.86 CARAT PEAR-SHAPED FANCY VIVID PINK DIAMOND AND PINK DIAMOND RING ▶ 4.46克拉梨形哥倫比亞祖母綠配鑽石戒指 MUZO礦區，無浸油，附MUZO、SSEF及GIA證書 A 4.46 CARAT PEAR-SHAPED COLOMBIAN EMERALD AND DIAMOND RING, from Muzo mine, no indications of clarity modification.

在英國，備極哀榮的儀式持續了數日，引導這個世界向廣受愛戴 的伊麗莎白二世女王道別。即時轉播的鏡頭前，各國政要與名人齊聚一 堂，而與女王最親的王室家族自然也全員出席。一如既往，王室成員們 配戴的珠寶成為媒體追逐的焦點；但在這一天，鏡頭下的各種雅緻裝扮， 並非為了滿足獵奇的眼光，而是展現對家人的尊崇與獻禮：珍珠配飾是 悼念貴族的標記；薊花胸針是女王最愛居地蘇格蘭的國花；公主們配戴 著女王贈送或她自身時常配戴的高貴飾品；路易斯．溫莎女士的銀馬項 鍊象徵著她與女王同享對馬的熱愛。 多數王室重要成員配戴的珠寶，都屬於伊麗莎白二世的個人收藏。 與歐洲各貴族家室比較，英國王室的珠寶收藏與傳承制度相當完整。不 少著名的王家飾品都跨越了許多世代，較為人所知的，像是瑪麗皇后的 戀人結寶冠、維多利亞女王的藍寶石胸針、黛安娜王妃的藍寶石訂婚 戒、溫莎公爵夫人的祖母綠婚戒等等。 寶石對歐洲皇室的意義，並不只是可供炫耀的財富。自貿易通路初 開，印度來的鑽石，以及南美來的祖母綠，便豐富了中世紀王室家族對 珠寶的收藏，也在世代傳承之間，為每一件精心打造的飾品賦予了不同 的意義。俄國凱薩琳大帝以珠寶展現國力的執著，為她帶來歐陸王室之 間數一數二的巨量收藏；英國瑪麗皇后對珠寶收藏與傳承的熱愛，也成 就了許多象徵著王室家族感情，舉世聞名的珠寶飾品；法國王家收藏中 最為知名的希望藍鑽上，刻寫著當年寶石如何從產地流轉至歐洲的典型 旅程。 除了專屬於家人的私密收藏外，歐陸各地逐漸形成的國家力量， 與由各大東印度公司為首的政府投資，同樣將寶石視為重要的國際貿易 商品。1530 年法蘭西斯一世要求將國有珠寶分開列冊編目之後，寶石 不再只是王室家族的珍藏，更強化了國家主權的意涵。而在商賈買賣以 外，國家之間的饋贈與轉讓，也成為歐陸王室重要的珠寶來源。例如 來自俄國王室，可替換祖母綠與珍珠的弗拉德米爾王冠 (The Vladimir Tiara)；喬治五世登基時印度致贈瑪麗王后的劍橋德里祖母綠首飾 (Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure)；許多王室皆有收藏，由緬甸致贈 的紅寶石打造而成的王冠 ；又或是在英國與荷蘭王室之間多次流轉， 最後鑲入荷蘭皇冠的史都華彩鑽等等。 其中值得注意的是，王室與富賈之間對鑽石的欣賞，早已延伸至 彩鑽之上。例如目前所知世界最大的粉紅鑽之一「威廉森粉紅鑽」，即 是加拿大學者威廉森取自同名礦區，贈與伊莉莎白二世的結婚禮物。而 承繼其名，世上第二大內部無瑕艷彩粉紅鑽「威廉森粉紅之星」，則在 近期的拍賣場上以 18.2 億台幣成交。羅芙奧精品部指出，根據 FCRF 等機構報告顯示，近年來拍賣場上的彩鑽表現極為亮麗。彩鑽指數在 2022 年第二季領先大多數的全球性指數，平均漲幅為 0.8%，遠超過如 道瓊 -11.3%、黃金 -6.7%、白鑽 -4.0% 等。其中以濃彩 1 克拉 (5.2%) 與花式 5 克拉 (6.3%) 級別的表現最為亮眼。 古時不為大眾親見的王室珠寶，如今在各種場合的媒體宣播下， 逐漸揭開每件飾品上閃耀的深刻意涵。數百年來，歐陸王室自始即以祖 母綠與鑽石為主要收藏與傳承的品項，而對彩鑽的珍視，更是遠遠早於 大眾珠寶交易市場的興趣。羅芙奧精品部表示，收藏無數寶物的歐陸王 室，對彩鑽的欣賞引領了全世界的潮流，而彩鑽的市場表現，更標誌著 此時是最好的投資時機。透過賞玩此類寶石，人們同樣也能走入貴族的 世界，掌握興家傳世的華麗象徵。

In the United Kingdom, the ceremonies continued through days with mourning, yet not without glorious memories, for Queen Elizabeth II fared well to this world, and left with her gracious shadows. In the worldwide live broadcast, politicians and dignities from all over the world came together. Among them, surely, stood her majesty's whole beloved family. As always, the jewelry worn by members of the royal family became the focus of the media. But at this day, all the accessorized details are not for the prying eyes, but to reveal the familial emotions and respect for the late matriarch: pearls are signs of mourning for the aristocrats; thistle would be the flower of Scotland where the Queen feels most at home; princesses wore elegant trinkets gifted by the Queen or loved and wore by herself; and there's Lady Louise Windsor, wearing a necklace of a silver horse, representing her shared love of the horse with the silver lady.

Most of the jewelry on the royal family members belong to the personal collection of Elizabeth II. Among the royal families in Europe, the one ruling England has the most complete collecting and inheriting system. Many famous items are kept in the family throughout generations, like the Lover's Knot tiara of Queen Mary, Sapphire Brooch of Queen Elizabeth, Sapphire engagement ring of Princess Diana, and the Emerald wedding ring of the spouse of Duke Windsor, etc.

For European Royal families, gemstones are not just riches to show. As global trade routes were carved out, diamonds from India and Emeralds from South America began to congregate rapidly in their collections. And by inheriting, every generation bestows upon the precious items a new meaning. Katherine the Great of Russia insisted to showcase the nation's power by jewelries, which made her giant collection on the top list in Europe; the love of the Queen Mary of England to collect and pass on her jewelries resulted in many world-famous items symbolizing love among her families; as for the Hope diamond in the collection of French royal family, it conveys an extraordinary journey from its producer in India all the way to Europe.

▲ 4.38克拉緬甸天然紅寶石配鑽石戒指，未經加熱，附GRS證書 A 4.38 CARAT BURMESE RUBY AND DIAMOND RING, no indications of heating ▶ 左：0.79克拉馬眼形正彩橘粉紅色鑽石配粉紅色鑽石戒指，附GIA證書 LEFT：A 0.79 CARAT MARQUISE-SHAPED FANCY ORANGY PINK DIAMOND AND PINK DIAMOND RING 右：0.50克拉雷迪恩明亮形正彩紫粉紅色鑽石配粉紅色鑽石戒指，附GIA證書 RIGHT：A 0.50 CARAT RADIANT-SHAPED FANCY PURPLISH PINK DIAMOND AND PINK DIAMOND RING

Apart from the private collections belonging to the families, the national power emerging all over Europe, as well as the state investment into many forms of Eastern India Company, regard the gemstones as crucial merchandise in international trade. And from 1530, after François I required a list built and followed for the national jewelries, the precious items became more than royal collection and started to represent sovereignty. Apart from trading were the gifting and releasing, all contributed to filling up the European royal coffers. We can make out some examples like the Cambridge emerald accessory given by India for Queen Mary for the crowning of Georges V; many among the royal families received crowns made from rubies by Myanmar; or the Steward Diamond, released and regained between the families in England and Holland, and finally embedded in a crown of the latter.

We should note that, the appreciation of aristocrats and rich merchants is not limited to the white diamonds, but also toward the colored ones. One of the biggest known pink diamonds "Williamson Pink Diamond'' would be among the wedding presents for Elizabeth II by Canadian scholar Williamson. Inherited by its name, the second biggest internally flawless vivid color pink diamond "Williamson Pink Star '' was sold recently at an auction of 57 million dollars. The luxury department of Ravenel International Art Group points out that, according to reports by institutes like FCRF, the colored diamonds show their prominence in the auctions. The colored diamond index is ahead of many others in 2022, by climbing 0.8%, far better than Dow Jones at -11.3%; gold at -6.7%, and white diamond at -4.0%. Among their peers, categories like vivid intense diamonds 1 Karat (5.2%) and fancy cut 5 carats (6.3%) are the most brilliant of them all.

The royal jewelries, isolated from the general public in the old days, are gradually revealing their deep meanings shining through the lens of every media on every occasion. As hundreds of years pass by, the royal families in Europe never turn their grateful eyes away from the emeralds and diamonds, grooming them to be the principal elements of their collection and inheritance, while their appreciation of colored diamonds is far earlier than the interests of popular trade. The luxury department of Ravenel International Art Group suggests that it's the European royal houses of enormous treasure collections who led the world to appreciate the colored diamonds which hold themselves true in the market. By the appropriation and appreciation of these precious stones, people can also enter freely into the aristocratic world, and get hold of the most brilliant symbol of prosperity and heritage in one's own house.