Crown Jewels replicas to be exhibited in St Lukes

A priceless collection of rarely displayed replica British Crown Jewels will be exhibited in St Lukes as part of a nationwide tour to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The replicas were bought by Farmers Trading Co from a London jeweller in association with the British Consulate-General in the late 1970’s for the sum of $10,000.

The tour features a selection of glittering pieces from the 18 strong collection including the:

• Imperial State Crown, Cross & Orb (Queen Elizabeth II)
• Sovereign’s Orb
• King’s Coronation Ring
• Golden Ampulla and Spoon
• Coronet of Frederick, Prince of Wales, Cross & Orb
• Crown of Queen Elizabeth, Cross & Orb (Queen Mother)
• St Edward’s Crown, Cross & Orb (King Charles II)
• Crown of Queen Mary, Cross & Orb (Queen Consort of King George V)

“These jewels hold a very special place in the heart of our company,” says Farmers CEO Rod McDermott.

“Many people will never get to England to see the real Crown Jewels so the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is a superb reason to polish them up and share them with our customers.”

In 1977 Farmers held an exhibition to celebrate the Queen’s visit to New Zealand for her Silver Jubilee.

The exhibition took place in the Farmers Hobson St store, with replica jewels borrowed from the UK displayed alongside royal-themed memorabilia and historical information from other royal visits and civic occasions.

The exhibition was so successful Paul Lynton, the Farmers manager at the time, decided to purchase a set of replica Crown Jewels for Farmers in New Zealand.

A number of the jewels accompanied Catherine Middleton’s replica wedding dress on the nationwide tour of Farmers stores following last year’s royal wedding, but for the most part, the jewels are kept under lock and key at the company’s head office in Auckland.

The Farmers Crown Jewels will be exhibited at Farmers St Lukes on the 6th June between 11 and 2pm.

One lucky customer who makes a $50 purchase between 14 May and 4 June will also win a specially designed sapphire and diamond pendant inspired by the Queen’s Coronation Crown worth $2,000.

Note: For additional information on the jewels please see backgrounder

About Farmers

As the country’s foremost department store, Farmers Trading Company has been outfitting New Zealand women, their families and their homes for more than 100 years.

First established by Robert Laidlaw as a catalogue mail order company in 1909, Farmers is now a thriving, modern department store and New Zealand’s leading fashion and home retailer - combining quality and value with an ever-increasing selection of the best local and international brands.

Proudly New Zealand owned, Farmers operates 55 department stores in rural and city locations around the country, providing shoppers with a wide range of women's, men's and children's fashion, health & beauty, homewares, manchester, appliances, electronics and furniture.