5 OF THE MOST ICONIC ROYAL FAMILY JEWELRY PIECES
The British Royal Family is iconic. With their familial history, scandals, and celebrations on public display, every action is done with intent — including what they wear and when.
From tiaras to engagement rings, each piece has a story to tell.
QUEEN MARY'S FRINGE TIARA
The Fringe Tiara, was originally worn by Queen Mary in 1919 on her
wedding day.
Commissioned by Collingwood & Co. the tiara is encrusted in diamonds that alternate in shape, size, and pattern.
And a truly unique feature of the piece is that it can be transformed into a necklace by removing the fringe.
Years later in 1947, then-Princess Elizabeth II donned the tiara for her wedding to then-Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten. The piece was loaned to the bride and became her “something borrowed.”
But as some brides know, something is bound to go wrong before the ceremony begins.
While fastening the veil and putting the finishing touches on the blushing bride, a hairdresser accidentally snapped the tiara in half.
The tiara was rushed to the House of Garrard for emergency repair. Thankfully, the piece was fixed in time for Queen Elizabeth II’s walk down the aisle.
The tiara is still in Queen Elizabeth II’s possession but has been loaned to other royal family members on special occasions.
The tiara was later worn by Princess Anne for her wedding day, but it most recently reappeared in 2020 for Princess Beatrice’s wedding ceremony.
It is suspected that Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the tiara to her granddaughter in order to represent the solidarity and resilience of the
Royal Family, especially in the face of adversity.
PRINCESS DIANA'S "REVENGE DRESS" ACCESSORY
For many, when we think of the late Princess Diana, we think of her sapphire and
diamond engagement ring. But that’s not the only memorable piece of jewelry she was known for.
The beloved late royal had a great eye for fashion and accessorizing, using her style to make a bold statement. One instance in particular was after her husband, Prince Charles, made his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, the current Duchess of Cornwall, public.
Princess Diana paired a sultry black dress with a seven-strand pearl choker and a large sapphire centerpiece embroidered with tiny diamonds.
The sapphire was originally part of a brooch belonging to the Queen Mother who later gifted the jewel to Diana for her wedding to Prince Charles.
The jewelry piece and the little black dress went down in British Royal Family history as the best potential breakup look to date.
And we certainly agree that pairing a statement piece like a
pearl necklace with a black dress is always a good choice.
THE SAPPHIRE ENGAGEMENT RING
Princess Diana was not the only British Royal to love sapphires. In fact, the use of sapphires in jewelry owned by the British Royal Family dates back as early as 1840 when the House of Garrard designed a brooch for Queen Victoria.
It is thought that the House of Garrard used the
sapphire and diamond brooch as inspiration for the ring that Princess Diana chose for her engagement to Prince Charles in 1981.
The awe-inspiring ring is now worn by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge given to her by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge for their engagement.
AN EVIL-REPELLING TIARA
In 1947 the people of Myanmar, then Burma, gifted a necklace adorned with rubies to Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present. The rubies are thought to protect the owner by warding off sickness and evil.
In 1973 the Queen had the 96 rubies fashioned into the Burmese Ruby Tiara, again using the
House of Garrard to design and create the piece.
The tiara also uses precious gemstones from her personal collection to create an ornate and memorable pattern.
Inspired by the Tudor Rose, the heraldic symbol of Britain, the design is a nod to the Queen’s loyalty to her country and the citizens.
MEGAN MARKLE'S ENGAGEMENT RING
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex is no stranger to attention-grabbing headlines, and neither is his bride, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. So, it comes as no surprise that the ring he used to propose with would also turn a few heads.
The ring features a five-carat center stone that the
prince reportedly sourced himself from Botswana.
Set in a yellow gold band, the stone is flanked by a round diamond on either side estimated to weigh .75-carats.
The precious jewels were taken from Princess Diana’s personal collection, providing even more sentiment as she is Prince Harry’s late mother.
FINE JEWELRY ACCESSORIES & LASTING LEGACIES
Loaned for special occasions or passed down through the generations, the British Royals have made bold statements with their jewelry and each piece has withstood the test of time.
Their iconic jewelry pieces have inspired jewelry designers around the globe to make statements of their own.
The
designers at Hannoush Jewelers offer a variety of pieces that are sure to stand out, leaving you to feel like a king or a queen.
To discover the timeless pieces for yourself, check out the collections and designers we offer by visiting either of our two showrooms in the Capital Region.
If you’d like to create a piece that is as unique as you, allow us to design a custom-made accessory using our
custom design services.
