In May 2011, Michelle Obama had a small problem that really only comes up at the very top of the world. She was about to attend a state dinner at Buckingham Palace, hosted by a woman who owned some of the most storied jewelry on the planet, and the gift she’d chosen for her was a $50 brooch.

Barack Obama told the story in a video tribute after Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, and it’s stuck around because of how neatly it captures her. “The queen was dressed up quite a bit for the state dinner,” he recalled, per CBS News. “It was a little bit concerning for Michelle, because as a gift to her majesty, Michelle had selected a small, modest brooch of nominal value.”

The pin was a vintage 1950s piece, American-made, moss agate set in gold with a scattering of diamonds, bought from a Washington jeweler called Tiny Jewel Box. The choice was deliberate:........

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