The Three Brothers

The Three Brothers (also known as the Three Brethren; German: Drei Brüder; French: Les Trois Frères) was a piece of jewellery created in the late 14th century, which consisted of three rectangular red spinels arranged around a central diamond. The jewel is known for having been owned by a number of important historical figures. After its commission by Duke John the Fearless of Burgundy, the jewel was part of the Burgundian crown jewels for almost 100 years, before passing into the possession of German banker Jakob Fugger. The Brothers were eventually sold to Edward VI and became part of the Crown Jewels of England from 1551 to 1643. They were worn prominently by Queen Elizabeth I and King James VI and I. In the early 1640s, Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, attempted to sell the jewel to raise funds for the English Civil War, but it is unclear if she succeeded. Its whereabouts after 1645 remain unknown. Description The Three Brothers remained essentially unchanged over more than 250 years. The jewel is known to have been reset at least once in 1623, but a variety of descriptions indicate that its original form and composition were retained over its entire lifespan. Originally made as a shoulder clasp or pendant, it consisted of three rectangular red spinels (then known as balas rubies) of 70 carats each in a triangular arrangement, separated by three round white pearls of 10–12 carats each, with another 18–20 carats pearl suspended from the lowest spinel. The middle of the pendant was a deep blue diamond weighing about 30 carats, in the shape of a pyramid, octahedron, or regular trisoctahedron. As there is little evidence for diamond cutting before 1400, it is likely the jeweller had merely squared off (described as "quarré" on the original invoice) its natural form. In its original form, the jewel had a size of 8.7 by 6.9 cm (3.4 by 2.7 in). When the Brothers made their first appearance in an inventory—that of Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy in 1419—the jewel was described as: