What is true love? A breeze brushing a sleeve, the moon rising over the western tower. Recently, I’ve been spiraling into a pseudo-philosophical vortex, inspired by three pieces of jewelry that struck a deep chord in my heart. For princesses, celebrities, or ordinary women alike, jewelry carries their most beautiful dreams of life and love. And jewelry with a story possesses a magic that words can hardly rival.
1. The Five-Strand Pearl Necklace That Hides Invisible Heartbreak
This five-strand pearl necklace from the Art Deco period of 1925 once belonged to Princess Margaret and now has a mysterious Chinese collector as its owner, who purchased it at a Christie’s auction in London.
Who Was Princess Margaret?
The photo above captures Princess Margaret on her 19th birthday, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Queen Elizabeth II. Indeed, she was Elizabeth’s younger sister. In this photo, Margaret wears the five-strand pearl necklace, radiating unparalleled elegance and confidence, brimming with life’s possibilities.
On her 26th birthday, Margaret wore the same necklace for another photo.
But this time, her gaze lacked the luster of seven years earlier, and her smile was gone. Despite the pearls’ glow, a deep sadness was evident. The reason? A year earlier, under royal family pressure, Margaret ended her so-called “heartbreaking romance.” She had been willing to give up her succession rights and royal allowances to be with Group Captain Peter Townsend, nearly twice her age. Yet the relationship ultimately succumbed to relentless external pressures. Years later, Margaret married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, but only after Peter Townsend sent her a letter informing her of his engagement to someone else.
The pearls, with their elegance and luster, are destined for beauty after leaving the ocean, but they can never guarantee happiness.
2. The Fateful Cycle of a Sapphire Ring
After Princess Diana’s tragic death, her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, each chose a keepsake from her belongings. Harry selected her sapphire ring, while William took a Cartier Tank gold wristwatch. Years later, Harry gave the sapphire ring to William, who wanted to propose to Kate Middleton in memory of their mother. Today, Kate often wears the sapphire ring at significant public events.
In 1981, when Diana and Charles got engaged, the ring was among the offerings from royal jeweler Garrard of Mayfair. Diana fell in love with this sapphire ring at first sight—a piece surrounded by 14 diamonds framing an 18-carat oval sapphire, like stars encircling the moon.
Sapphire was one of Diana’s favorite gemstones. Legend has it that the jeweler presented her with many finer options, but she chose this ring because the sapphire resembled her eyes.
Symbolizing loyalty, steadfastness, love, and honesty, sapphire embodies noble qualities. Yet Diana and Charles’s love story ended in heartbreak. When the sapphire ring found its way to Kate Middleton, it seemed to carry an unfinished tale, yearning for a continuation.
3. A Ruby Necklace That Reveals the Essence of Love
Elizabeth Taylor’s life was inseparable from her jewelry and love stories. Every piece she wore carried a beautiful, moving tale. Among them, the most famous is the “Taylor-Burton Diamond,” gifted by her fifth (and sixth) husband, Richard Burton (yes, they married and divorced twice). This diamond, once the largest and most stunning in the world, weighed over 240 carats in its raw form. It was later cut into a 69.42-carat pear-shaped gem and set by Cartier into an exquisite necklace.
Yet of all her treasures, Taylor cherished most the Cartier jewelry set given by her third husband, Mike Todd. The set included a ruby and diamond necklace, earrings, and a bracelet, with the ruby necklace being the most extraordinary piece.
Every time Taylor touched this masterpiece, she would whisper, “I’ve never seen anything so moving in my life. He was so generous and attentive, and I felt completely protected and loved by him.”
Tragically, this tender love story ended when Todd died in a plane crash, leaving their sweet time together to just 13 months. Reflecting on this, Taylor once said, “He gave me love and taught me what true love means.”
What is true love? This is an unanswerable question. Yet through these three stories, we might find one answer: only jewelry never disappoints.