Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Dorset Bow Brooch, 1893

The Dorset Bow Fan
English, 1893
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II

This exceptionally fine diamond brooch helped start a trend in jewelry design, giving rise to the popularity of “bow brooches,” a style which endures to this day. The brooch was a gift to Mary of Teck on the occasion of her marriage (to the future King George V) in 1893.


When Mary’s granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) married in 1947, this was among the many exquisite diamond pieces which Queen Mary lavished on the young bride.