The late queen might have given it a cutesy name, but the diamonds on the brooch are some of the most valuable in the world.
The Queen wore the brooch a handful of time (Image: Getty)
We don’t think of Queen Elizabeth having nicknames for her accessories but it seems some of her jewels had an extra special place in the late monarch’s heart.
Queen Elizabeth had one particular item that she loved so much, she gave it a cute nickname – a stunning diamond brooch that’s considered to be the world’s most valuable.
The stunning item has sentimental value too, having been passed from generation to generation, and been gifted to her from her grandmother, Queen Mary.
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The gift inspired Her Majesty to call the brooch ‘granny’s chips’ and considering it was a family heirloom, Queen Elizabeth only wore it a handful of times during her 70-year reign.
The diamonds on the brooch have a deep and fascinating history too, being cut from the Cullinan – named after the South African mine in which it was discovered in 1905 and now forms the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels.
Granny’s chips’ might have got its nickname for being a gift from Queen Mary or be a sign of the Queen’s dry sense of British humour, referencing the small diamonds in the brooch in comparison to the much larger diamonds cut from the Cullinan.
The one-of-a-kind Cullinan – the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found – weighed in at an incredible 3106 carats (or 621.35 grams).
In comparison, the diamonds on the brooch, The Cullinan III and Cullinan IV, weigh 94.4 and 63.6 carats, respectively.
The Queen had a lot of brooches, but none as dear to her as ‘granny’s chips’ (Image: Getty)
The diamond has a royal past too, as it was presented to King Edward VII as a symbolic gesture to help mend relations between Britain and South Africa after the Boer War.
The diamonds are considered to have the best characteristics desired in rough stones, clarity and clear white colour. Owing to their nature, there are many legends connected to the Cullinan, including that a man assigned to cutting the diamond fainted when he first cleaved it.
Queen Mary wore the Cullinan III and Cullinan IV diamonds for her coronation in 1911 and ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, they were handed down to her when she was aged just 27.
