This brooch was created from a cairngorm picked up by Prince Albert at Lochnagar in September 1848. Lochnagar, the highest mountain in the vicinity of Balmoral Castle, was the objective of a walk taken by the royal couple on the last day of their visit to Scotland that year.

A cairngorm is a form of quartz originally found only in the Cairngorm range (in the eastern Highlands of Scotland). This example was immediately cut and set into a Celtic-style brooch for presentation to Queen Victoria in November 1848. This form of commemorative jewellery was typical of the taste of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert: necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and brooches made from pebbles collected on particular outings were also made for each other and for other members of their family.