 I recently came across the inventory records of Mary's jewels kept up until 1546, and I wanted to share some of them with you guys.

From these records, we can see that Mary had a lot of pearl jewelry. I can't name them all one by one, but she had many pieces in this style.

In the 1542 record, it states that Mary had a diamond IHS emblem with 3 drop pearls attached. Later, in 1546, Henry gave Mary another one of these jewels, but this one was smaller. This pendant (or whatever it's called) is actually a very familiar piece of jewelry to us. We first come across it in a miniature portrait of Queen Catherine of Aragon, and later Queen Jane Seymour is shown wearing it in her famous Holbein portrait. I reckon Jane might have been the first one to give this jewel to Mary.

Then it mentions that Mary had an "M" shaped jewel (pendant) with 3 rubies, 2 diamonds, and a large drop pearl. She also had a ruby set inside an "H" with a drop pearl. She might have worn these as necklaces.

It's also noted that Duke Philip of Bavaria gifted Mary a diamond cross containing 4 diamonds and a large drop pearl.

Mary often took part in Valentine's Day lotteries. Princess Mary's name was drawn by Anthony Browne, and in return, Anthony Browne drew a portrait of Princess Mary himself and gave it to her as a Valentine's gift. Mary, in exchange, gave him a gold brooch with black enamel, featuring an agate depicting the story of Abraham and four small uncut rubies.

Mary had a gold book with portraits of her father Henry and her mother Catherine inside. Even though Mary gave jewelry as gifts all the time, she never gifted this to anyone; it says "remained in her possession" next to this jewel. However, she did gift a round locket with black enamel containing portraits of the King and Queen Jane at a wedding.

She gifted a gold-plated green locket depicting the Trinity to Princess Elizabeth. She also gave Elizabeth a gold pomander containing a sundial—I read somewhere that Queen Catherine Howard had given this pomander to Mary.

Since we know Mary was a religious person, it comes as no surprise that she had a lot of rosaries. She had a gold rosary with black and white enamel, a lapis lazuli rosary with gold trimmings, a coral rosary with gold trimmings, and a round garnet rosary also with gold trimmings. She even gave the heart-shaped end of a lapis lazuli rosary with a heart at the tip to a lady's daughter.

Catherine Parr gifted Mary a pair of bracelets adorned with small pearls.

But I want to talk about the jewel that surprised me the most: in 1546, King Henry gave Mary an emerald featuring a ruby and a large drop pearl, with a half rose and pomegranate motif on the back.

In 1546 again, Henry gave Mary a brooch set with a beautiful table diamond framed by 4 rubies, depicting the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. After Mary became queen, she gifted this brooch to Elizabeth on July 21, 1553. And Elizabeth—if I remember correctly—later gifted this jewel to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was in England at the time. An interesting connection.

Mary also had a gold signet ring with a rose motif inside.

Apart from these, she had many jewels engraved with stories of religious figures: a locket depicting the story of Solomon's Temple, an Old Testament story brooch, another brooch with Jacob sleeping, a brooch showing Christ healing the paralytic, a Noah's Flood brooch, a David story brooch, a Solomon story brooch, a Moses story brooch...

There are other lockets, rings, brooches, bracelets, and various jewels besides these. But unfortunately, I can't list them all one by one.

We know Mary gave gifts very often. During this period, jewelry gifts to Margaret Douglas, Margaret's son Henry, her cousin Frances, Frances's daughter Lady Jane, her brother Edward, and many ladies are recorded.

This jewel inventory generally shows the jewels she possessed in 1542 and 1546. The jewels she owned during Edward's reign or her own reign are not listed in this record.

If you'd like to read about the jewels in more detail, the source is *Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary* by Frederick Madden.

Thanks for reading, sending much love to you all!

Some interesting jewels of the Princess Mary