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Presidential Treasure – Jewelry of the First Ladies

featured photo courtesy of Grants Jewelry, New York

Today, we celebrate our country’s leaders.

George Washington, our first president, and one of the most iconic, is revered as one of our greatest leaders.

While researching presidential jewelry, I found pearls seemed to be the most popular gem accessory of most of the First Ladies, dating back to Martha Washington’s modest jewelry collection.

To learn more, visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon, which serves as a living museum, and preservation society of Mount Vernon, and the historical artifacts uncovered on site. https://www.mountvernon.org/

For security reasons, images from the site are not permitted to be shared beyon the site, so please click here to be directed to the site’s page featuring Martha Washington’s gold chain and freshwter pearl necklace.

A Ring Fit for American Royalty

I came upon the story and photo of Jackie Kennedy Onassis’ first engagement ring while researching jewelry of the first ladies.
Hers stood out, as it features a beautiful emerald alongside an impressive 2.88ct emerald cut diamond.

-Photo courtesy of Grants Jewelry

Designed by Van Cleef and Arpels at the request of JFK’s father, Joseph, Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring is an elegant bypass two stone design, set with a 2.88ct emerald cut diamond, and 2.84carat emerald cut emerald. It was  originally accented with overarching marquis diamonds, and round diamonds down the shoulders.

Later, Mrs. Kennedy would redesign the ring, exchanging the marquise diamonds for baguette diamonds.

The image is used courtesy of Grants Jewelry in New York, featured in their site’s post “The Biggest and Brightest: History’s Famous Engagement Rings”, from April 19, 2017.
Click here to see other famous jewelry featured in this post.

For More…

George Pragnell of Pragnell Jewellery, created renderings and an infographic featuring famous jewelry in his feature, “A Cut Above the Rest – The World’s Most Iconic Engagement Rings”