If this helps I found this little bit about the Queen's cup in Robert M. Place's book Tarot, History, Symbolism and Divination - what he has to say makes sense to me as it aligns with the characteristic quality of the Queen.
The Queen's elaborate Gothic chalice has angels flanking it and a lid with a cross on top. These elements identify it as a symbol of the sacred center. The Queen knows that the center is in herself. She does not open the cup. The Queen knows that it will open on its own, like an egg, when the time is right. Meanwhile,she is psychically in tune with its contents.
I have also read that the winged angels represent a link to the spiritual aspect
Berbatov said:
the red jewel in the middle
I have looked at my Original Rider Waite card and for the life of me I cannot see a red jewel in the middle - were you using one of the other RW decks? I see it on the Radiant Rider Waite card but that deck is Recoloured by Virginijus Poshkus and not Pixie Smith's original which Waite wrote about I think. The Radiant was reissued in collaboration with Miss Sybil Waite & Rider & Co. London.
What this Queen is about is remaining open to energy of the unconscious and because she has an understanding of this power within her, she is able to react in an emotionally compassionate way, not just to herself but to the world in general. By being in tune with her inner feelings and her intuition she is able to translate her dreams into a reality. This quality she has also makes her very empathic to those around her.
Waite wrote of her
Beautiful, fair, dreamy- as one who sees visions in a cup.
The cup then is the obvious link to the water element which is represented by emotions, feelings, intuition and can give depth to her creativity. The Queen does not have to actually look into the cup, she is already in tune with its contents, and knows that at the appropriate time they will be revealed to her — so her cup is a kind of focus if you like in order to get in touch with that deeper part of herself.
We need to remember here that the energy from the water element is a passive feminine one that lends towards nurturing one's ideas.
So this Queen is the Feminine head of the suit and although water is a shifting and changing emotion the Queen is Queen because she has assimilated the message of her suit and has a degree of understanding now of her own emotional depths. She is a Queen that is not only sensitive but creative as well!
Long Live The Queen
Just some of my thoughts on this Lady
~HoneyBea~