One of Queen Elizabeth II’s most iconic brooches, the flower-shaped Williamson Diamond Brooch has a Canadian connection: its gorgeous pink diamond, one of the largest and finest of its kind, was a wedding gift from Canadian geologist John Thoburn Williamson. The extraordinary jewel was cut and set into a platinum-and-diamond brooch completed in 1953, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and was frequently worn throughout her seven-decade reign, appearing in family portraits, at State occasions and momentous celebrations — including the Silver Jubilee Service in 1977, and the weddings of two of her children.

The second coin in the Crown Jewels series takes a closer look at the Williamson Diamond Brooch. The brooch’s jonquil flower on this 99.99% pure silver coin is adorned with dazzling crystals on a rhodium plated setting, while a coloured glass stone stands in for the royal jewel’s priceless pink diamond.