The Viceregal Lion
  1. The Governor General of Canada
  2. His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston
  • Print Preview
  • Print: 
  •  Send to Facebook (Opens in a new window)
  •  Send to Twitter (Opens in a new window)
  • Send to E-mail (Opens in a new window)
  • Share: 

Crown

Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch

Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch

The Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch was presented to Her Majesty The Queen on July 19, 2017, at Canada House, in London, England. The brooch celebrates the Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee, marking 65 years as Canada’s Sovereign.

The brooch is adorned with 48 Canadian sapphires of various colours and sizes. The sapphires were discovered by brothers Seemeega and Nowdluk Aqpik in 2002, on Baffin Island. It is currently the only known sapphire deposit in Canada. The design takes inspiration from the Canadian Arctic and, more specifically, from the hamlet of Kimmirut, on Baffin Island, where the sapphires were discovered. The brooch’s centre is elevated and set with diamonds to represent the rocky hill located across the water from Kimmirut. The shape of the brooch is also emblematic, celebrating the snowy landscape of the Canadian Arctic and the unique nature of the snowflake.

Presented in a momentous year that marks both The Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee and Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, this brooch celebrates the historic and profound relationship between Her Majesty and Canada. It serves as a companion to the maple leaf brooch given to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother by her husband King George VI, to mark their visit to Canada in 1939; it was inherited by Her Majesty in 2002.

Date modified: July 19, 2017