The Great H Replica dress brooch or necklace

Replica dress brooch/necklace, “The Great H”.

The Great 'H' of Scotland was a jewel belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots comprising a large diamond and a ruby. Also known as the Great Harry, it was broken up in 1604 and made into the Mirror of Great Britain for James VI and I.

The Great H may have been the pendant of "incalculable value" which Mary wore at her wedding in 1558 at Notre-Dame de Paris. Mary was allowed to keep this jewel after the death of her husband Francis II of France in 1561 and brought it to Scotland.

In 1578, the Great 'H' was described as:

"The jowell callit the greit Hary with the letter H contening a grit diament and a grit ruby."

I have made the piece as a brooch, so that it can be pinned to the front of a gown. It also has a gold chain if you prefer to wear it as a necklace. (The chain can easily be removed).

We do not have any portraits of Mary wearing the jewel but it is described as having a small gold chain. The portrait is Anne of Denmark possibly depicted wearing the Great H on a pearl necklace. This jewel was called the 'H' because of its shape. We know about it from a list of Mary's jewels made in France in the 1550s, which described it as a French crown jewel.

Anne of Denmark (Danish: Anna; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until her death in 1619.

I have used black diamond crystals to achieve the effect of the portrait, but I can use clear crystals if you prefer. The pendant is hand crafted in alloy with gold plate and has a red crystal for the ruby. From the bottom hangs a large glass faux drop pearl.