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The Tudors and the Stuarts: Elizabeth

In 1582 Sir William Drury presented a "new year's gift" to Queen Elizabeth, "a juell of gold being a pommander, garnished with sparcks of diamonds, rubyes, and perles," and Mrs. Francis Drury gave "a forck of corrall garnished slightly with gold. In 1584 Sir William gave her majesty another "jeuell of golde being two snakes wounde together, garnished with sparcks of rubyes, one small diamond, one small emeralde, on the one side, and three very small perles pendant, and a white dove in the midst, garnished with three small rubyes."

In the list of Queen Elizabeth's wardrobe (1600) the coronation robes are described, also the jewels which are thus mentioned:-- "Item. In colletts of golde, in everie collet one ballas (a species of ruby of a vermeil rose colour), one being broken. "Item. One small jewell of golde, like a white lyon with a flie on his side, standing on a base or foote, garnished with twoe opalls, twoe verie little pearles, fyve rubies, one rubie pendaunte, and twoe little shorte cheines on the backe of the lyon. "Item. One fearne braunche, having therein a lyzard, a lady-cow (ladybird), and a snaile. "Item. One jewell of golde, with a flie and a spider in it upon a rose. "Item. In buttons and camews (cameos). "Item. One jewell of golde, like an Irish darte, garnished with fower small diamondes. "Item. In great rounde buttons of golde enameled with sondry colours, each set with small sparcks of rubies, and one pearle in the midst called great bucklers. "Item. One jewell of golde like a frogg, garnished with diamondes. "Item. In buttons of golde, like tortoyses, in each one a pearle. "Item. One jewell of golde like a dasye, and small flowers aboute it, garnished with sparks of diamondes and rubies, with her majestie's picture graven within a garnet, and a sprigge of three braunches, garnished with sparks of rubies, one pearle in the topp, and a small pendaunte of sparks of diamondes."

In the library of Thomas Astle, Esq., F.R.S., was a list of Queen Elizabeth's jewels and plate signed by Lord Burghley, Sir Ralph Sadleir, and Sir Walter Mildmay. The introduction to the book states:--"This Booke made the xiii. daye of Marche, in the xvi. yeare of the reigne of our sovereigne lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queene of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, defendour of the faith, etc., doth particularly conteinn all such parcells of the queen's majestie's jewelles, plate, and other stuff as remaine the said daye and yere in the custodie and charge of John Asteley, esquire, master and threasurour of her highness juells," etc.