A spectacular piece of jewellery with links to the late Queen's inner circle is set to attract major interest when it goes under the hammer. The spectacular Verdura unicorn brooch once belonged to Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, Dowager Countess of Airlie, who served as a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for almost 50 years.
The striking piece will be offered by Elmwood's Auctioneers in its Jewellery sale on August 19, with an estimate of £20,000 to £30,000.
Design and Provenance
Designed as a unicorn's head emerging from a circular cabochon turquoise crown, the brooch features a pear-shaped diamond fringe, a diamond-set horn and a brilliant-cut diamond flower held in the unicorn's mouth. Signed Verdura, it contains approximately 1.10 carats of diamonds and was said to have been a firm favourite of Lady Airlie.
But the jewel's significance extends beyond its royal provenance, as Virginia had a remarkably personal connection with its creator, the legendary Italian-American jeweller Duke Fulco di Verdura.
Personal Connection to the Designer
Her mother, Margaret Kahn, and aunt, Maud Kahn, were close friends of Verdura, with the friendship believed to have begun in Venice in 1923. Virginia later became close to the designer herself and was one of the very few people permitted to visit his studio and watch him work.
According to Patricia Corbett's Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweller, she even had special permission to visit him on her way home from school.
Verdura later became one of the most celebrated jewellery designers of the 20th century, working alongside Coco Chanel in Paris during the 1920s before establishing his own New York jewellery house in 1939. His famous clients included the Duchess of Windsor, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.
Auction and Legacy
Joe Kendrick, Head of Sale at Elmwood's Auctioneers, said: "This is an exceptional Verdura jewel, but what makes it particularly fascinating is the very personal story behind it. Virginia Ogilvy was not simply the owner of a Verdura piece; she had a genuine connection with Fulco di Verdura that stretched back to her childhood. The fact that Virginia was one of the very few people permitted to visit Verdura's studio and watch him work gives this jewel an extraordinary personal link."
Lady Airlie herself enjoyed an extraordinary royal career. Born in London in 1933 into a prominent American family, she married David Ogilvy, Lord Ogilvy, in 1952 at St Margaret's, Westminster, at a wedding attended by around 1,000 guests, including Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. She became Countess of Airlie in 1968 and, five years later, was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first American to hold the position. She remained one of the late Queen's most senior ladies-in-waiting until Elizabeth II's death in 2022 and later continued to assist King Charles III with royal household duties. Following her death in August 2024, aged 91, Buckingham Palace said the King was "deeply saddened" and had greatly appreciated her "immense devotion and dedicated service" to the late Queen.
