Sure, there are plenty of jewels with historic provenance. And there are plenty of jewels with some incredible stories to tell. There are far fewer, however, that combine the two while bringing some of the world’s most influential aristocratic families into the mix—at least to the degree of Hancocks London’s latest acquisition. For the first time in its history, a Victorian necklace with ties to Queen Victoria, the Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill, the Vanderbilts, and Diana, Princess of Wales (among others) will be available to the public for purchase.
Called the Spencer-Churchill necklace, the gold collar was created on behalf of John Spencer-Churchill for his wife, Frances, around 1875. “The Spencer-Churchills were at the very heart of British society and politics for two centuries and this piece, and the names it carries, reflect their status and influence in a way almost no other family dynasty could match,” said Hancocks London managing director Guy Burton in a release. “Its fascinating provenance deserves study by historians equally as much as jewelers.”
The piece features eight oval lockets, seven of which represent the couple’s children (they had 11 total) through engravings of their names and birthdates; the eighth depicts a ducal coronet. The family’s fifth-born, Lady Georgiana Elizabeth Spencer-Churchill, was either excluded or removed from the necklace for a reason that’s currently unknown.
“Reading the list of the great and good connected by this single piece of jewelry, it’s really quite incredible to see just how far a single generation’s influence stretched at home in the U.K. and in America,” said Burton. “As the Spencer-Churchill family is related to the Spencer family of Althorp, the necklace also links the late Diana, Princess of Wales and our future King, Prince William, both families being descended from John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough.”
The 150-year-old necklace is available for approximately $150,400 (£125,000) at Hancocks London.
Top: The 150-year-old Spencer-Churchill necklace that’s now available for public purchase, for the first time ever. (Photos courtesy of Hancocks London)
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