Ever since the start of the English reign, they have accumulated a variety of jewelries that are ever so rare. Some say they had acquired these jewels throughout their colonization of other countries and other times, these jewels are also given as gifts to them, especially the Queen.
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And it is no secret that they are in possession of these highly valuable items. They flaunt them during public appearances and special occasions. People would find themselves amazed at the beauty of the accessories the royals wear. And it isn’t just the accessory weight that’s heavy, but yes, you guessed it, the price as well!
“Granny’s Chips” Brooch
This jewelry is absolutely one-of-a-kind and is one of the world’s rarest gems. The brooch is cut from the Cullinan Diamond that was discovered back in 1905. After the discovery, it was gifted to the then King Edward VII and he had other plans for the diamond.
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After receiving the diamond, he ordered his royal jewellers to customize the stone. So they did and they turned it into the Cullinan III, a 94.40 ct pear-shape, and the Cullinan IV, a 63.60 ct square cushion. It was later passed on to Queen Mary which she then bestowed to Queen Elizabeth II right before she passed. It was then valued at a whopping $50 Million.
The Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara
Back in 1942, the Queen Mother received a gift in the form of an elegant tiara. Because it wasn’t that much to her style and along with many other recommendations from the royal family’s jewelers, they decided that it was best to alter it to fit the unified ensemble the royals represent and who’s better qualified to handle the altering than Cartier.
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The name of the tiara was given because of its main design – a hexagon housing three diamonds inside and closely represents that of a honeycomb. According to royal appraisers, the crown is worth to be about $3 million which is why it is stored away in a secure vault and only worn during special occasions.
Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau
Any close member of the royal family would know that they are free to borrow jewelries for very special occasions. But of course, this is with the consent of the Queen herself. Take for example, Meghan Markle. During her wedding, she was spotted sporting the Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau. Although that wasn’t her first choice, thankfully it still was a perfect match to her outfit.
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Valued at over $2.5 million, you would think that it’s too precious to wear out in public. This tiara was originally crafted to incorporate a diamond brooch for Queen Mary in 1932. Because of its design and the way the pave diamonds are perched right at the center of the tiara makes for a very versatile piece.
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
Many people are familiar with this very special headpiece. And no, it’s not because of its price, but because it was often seen being worn by one of the royal family’s most iconic member – Princess Diana. It is the perfect mix of diamonds and pearls – both a woman’s best friend.
Kate’s Closet
The tiara was first commissioned in 1914 by Queen Mary and in 1981, Queen Elizabeth II gave the tiara as a wedding gift to Diana. However, she had to surrender it back to the Queen upon her split with Prince Charles in the 90s. Today, the tiara is worth about $4 million, maybe more.
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Elizabeth does not always wear her crown like many would assume. The crown is reserved for once in a lifetime occasions. However, she does have her absolute favorite that she wears second to it. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is one of her most prized possessions that only she can wear.
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The tiara was first gifted by the ‘Girls of Great Britain and Ireland’ to the Duchess of York, who we know as Queen Mary, in 1893. And in 1947, upon Queen Elizabeth’s marriage to Prince Phillip, Queen Mary bestowed it as a gift. Queen Elizabeth has worn the tiara regularly throughout her reign and is seen wearing it on some issues of British and Commonwealth banknotes and coinage.
Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace
Just like Princess Diana’s favorite accessory, this necklace fits just right into the royal family’s most timeless collections over the centuries. Prince Albert had gifted this accessory to his bride, Princess Alexandra of Denmark for their wedding day in 1863.
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The necklace was eventually passed down to the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother wore it often, up until her passing in 2002. It was then kept sealed in the royal vault until the Duchess of Cambridge was seen donning the necklace to a banquet in 2018 along with Princess Diana’s favorite Tiara.
The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara
Previously valued at $5 million, The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara has so many stories to tell over the course of the many years it’s spent with royals. It was originally a necklace from Queen Victoria and gifted to Queen Mary and was later on reworked into a tiara that we all know today.
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According to royal experts, Queen Elizabeth was supposed to wear this to her wedding. But somehow, on the day of the event, the tiara came unhinged. Despite the panic, the Queen Mother calmly advised her daughter that everything would be fine and that there were tons of other tiaras they could use. And during Princess Anne’s wedding, she was able to wear it without a hitch.
The Duchess of Cornwall’s Pink Topaz Choker
Out with the old and in with the new, this piece in the royals’ collection is very rare because it is such a different league from the usual white diamonds and pearls they don at parties and other official appearances. Although this is only valued at around $30,000, this gem still speaks volumes.
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It was first spotted on the Duchess of of Cornwall, Camilla. She wore it during Harry and Meghan’s wedding to complete her whole look for the momentous occasion. She had it made it into the iconic choker that people love today and because it’s pink, well, it certainly stood out the most.
Kate Middleton’s Acorn & Oak Leaf Wedding Earrings
This accessory first seen on Kate Middleton on her wedding to Prince William is something very new to the eyes of the rest of the world. Although this hasn’t been stored in the royal vaults like the rest of the jewelries Kate has worn over the years, but this one takes its place because of its uniqueness in design.
Kate’s Closet
Kate’s parents had custom-made earrings designed to feature oak leaves and acorns, each representing Kate and her siblings. Unlike the royal jewels, the pair of earrings cost the Middletons a $18,000 but of course, it was well-worth it considering the joy it brought Kate on her wedding day.
The Eleven-Strand Pearl Choker
Pearls, like diamonds, are timeless pieces that we think should be in every woman’s jewelry box. Though it may not look as grand as diamonds, but it sure exudes elegance. So imagine, dozens more of pearls around your neck and at eleven strands at that? Definitely something that’s over-the-top and not many can pull off.
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However, Princess Diana did. While it’s unknown when this was bought or gifted, but she was often sporting this choker with diamond and ruby spacers. After her untimely death in 1997, all of Princess Diana’s personal jewelry collection were inherited by her two sons which they then gifted to their wives.
The Prince Albert Brooch
This particular piece dates back to the 1840s when Prince Albert had given this as a memoir to his bride, Queen Victoria. The Sapphire stone is set right in between 12 diamonds which gives off a very simple but yet very elegant style. Queen Elizabeth has been seen quite a number of times sporting the accessory.
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All together, the brooch is valued roughly around $4 million. It is even said that Queen Victoria made sure that it would be an “heirloom of the crown” meaning that only Queens or Queen Consorts after her could wear it. This explains why no one other than Queen Elizabeth and her mother were the only ones seen to wear it on special occasions.
Princess Diana’s Engagement Ring
Although Prince Charles and Diana’s marriage went from an all time high to rock bottom in a matter of a few years, this ring had symbolized so much over the years. Albeit a tragic ending, this ring wasn’t really from the royal collection of gems and accessories. Prince Charles had to purchase it at $36,000 which is now valued at around $100,000.
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When Diana died, all of her possessions, including that of her jewelries were passed down to Harry and William. Although each of the two had decided on which ones to keep and Harry initially choosing the Sapphire ring, since William was the first to marry, they eventually came to an agreement and now Kate dons the lovely ring.
The Lotus Flower Tiara
This piece started out as a necklace that was given to the Queen Mother by her husband on their wedding day back in 1923. Because of the royals’ love for headpieces back then, it was altered to then be a tiara. This was Princess Margaret’s favorite diadem.
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Fast forward to today, the only royal ever seen to be wearing this headpiece was Kate herself. It is almost simple in design compared to the many other tiaras that other princesses and duchesses have worn over the years. It’s got diamond arches and pearls – a signature style in many of their accessories now approximately valued at $4 million.
The Delhi Durbar Tiara
The Delhi Durbar Tiara first made its appearance back in 1911 when Queen Mary enlisted the help of jewellers to make her a headpiece that truly could resonate her official reign as the Empress of India, this momentous occasion was then called the Delhi Durbar – hence its name. The diadem now is currently valued at approximately $2 million.
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After the event, many would spot Queen Mary wearing it during other occasions and then ultimately, after her passing, the Queen Mother would wear it a few times before Queen Elizabeth decided that she was going to be loaning it to Camilla in 2005. The general public even thought that by loaning Camilla the diadem, this was her way of approving her relationship to Charles.
The Poltimore Tiara
This headpiece wasn’t really made for the Queen or for any royal for that matter. It was crafted by Garrard for Florence Bampfylde, the Lady Poltimore circa 1870. Around 1959, the Baron of Poltimore decided that it was time to part ways with the tiara and send it off for auction. A friend of the princess tipped her off regarding the auction and it was then that she bought if for £5,500.
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Her first appearance wearing the diadem was on May 1959 during a state visit to the Shah of Iran and a year before she was engaged to the Earl of Snowdon. She also decided to wear the tiara during her wedding day in 1960. It was also this tiara that she wore on a more notable photograph of her in a bathtub taken by none other than her husband. When she died, her children auctioned it off back in 2006 for £926,400.
Brazilian Aquamarine Parure Tiara, Earrings, and Necklace
Even Queen Elizabeth does not mind incorporating colors into the royal jewels she wears. This just goes to show that she is not afraid of going outside of her comfort zone when it comes down to it and what better way to show it to the world than with the holy trinity of of Brazilian Aquamarine Parure.
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It was crafted by the current Royal Crown Jeweller, Mappin & Webb in Rio de Janeiro. The tiara, necklace and earrings set is a perfect harmony of diamonds and it brings out the true essence of a ruler. The current estimated value of the set is at $1 million but it could possibly be more than that since this one is rare all over.
The Burmese Ruby Tiara
The Burmese Ruby Tiara is unique not because of its design but because it is one of the Queen’s most recent commissioned pieces. Her previous Crown Jeweller, Garrard, was the one to arrange this lovely headpiece for her. The diadem has incorporated about 96 rubies all of which were gifted to her by the Burmese people in celebration of her reign.
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To date, the current value of the diadem is at about $9 million according to expert jewellers. According to many sources, ruby is a stone of good fortune and this means fortune of the body, mind, and soul and because the Burmese people wish all the best for her, they gave her the gems to wish her a long and happy life. So that must explain her long reign as Queen!
The Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara
Out of all the diadems in the royal Windsor collection, in our personal opinion, this one officially takes the cake. Why? Because of its intricate design that allows you to pair it up with just about any outfit in the planet. It was crafted by Cartier back in 1936 for the Queen Mother.
Kate’s Closet
It made headlines when Kate Middleton appeared out in public for her wedding to Prince William. It consists of about 149 baguette-cut diamonds, all delicately layered out to make it what it is now. Expert jewellers say that the value of the diadem is about $1.6 million but has now significantly increased after Kate’s wedding.
Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara
This tiara was originally crafted for Dame Margaret Greville back in 1919 but she later on bequeathed it to the Queen Mother and then passed it on to Queen Elizabeth. But somehow according to records, she never wore it out in public so this must have been stored away in the royal vault until 2018.
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Princess Eugenie had the tiara in mind to go with her whole wedding outfit and she wasn’t wrong. The careful design of layered diamonds and platinum made for a perfect mix to incorporate the 93.7 carat emerald at the center. The diadem is thought to be valued at about $5-10 million at most.