The heirloom brooches, the diamond tiaras! It’s fair to assume that the Duchess of Cambridge’s jewellery box is bursting with bling...
The heirloom brooches, the diamond tiaras! It’s fair to assume that the Duchess of Cambridge’s jewellery box is bursting with bling. From her sapphire engagement ring to that Zara necklace, we chart Kate Middleton's best jewellery moments...
The Garrard & Co Engagement Ring We'll start with the engagement ring, just in case you were on holiday when the whole Royal wedding thing happened, or perhaps you’re a magpie and just want another look. Behold, Kate’s royal engagement ring, a total dazzler that first belonged to Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana. It’s a Ceylon sapphire ring created by former Crown Jeweller Garrard & Co, with 14 solitaire diamonds surrounding the twelve carat centre stone, all set in 18 carat white gold. Good work, Wills.
The Catherine Zoraida Earrings The Duchess loves her heirloom jewels, sure but, just as with clothes, she loves discovering new jewellery designers too. Kate first wore her £140 double leaf gold drop earrings to meet the King Of Malaysia in 2012, but has been spotted in them dozens of times since, including on tours of Australia and New Zealand. As with everything she wears, relatively unknown jeweller Catherine’s business has boomed since the Duchess wore her designs. Read more about the Kate effect, here.
The Cartier Brooch Kate pulls this one out of her jewellery box every St Patrick's Day - a Cartier gold three-leaf Shamrock pin with a glittering emerald in the centre. The brooch used to belong to The Queen Mother, for whom the St Patrick's Day parade was a favourite ceremony.
The Collection Of Kiki McDonough Earrings The Duchess loves Kiki's earring designs - she's got the £495 citrine pear drops, the £1,200 blue topaz hoops... you name it. With precious stones in modern cuts, McDonough is a go-to for any royal looking for something with a little fashion kudos.
Links Of London Yes, Kate actually wears jewellery that we can (sort of) afford too! For her first red carpet appearance as a newlywed in 2011, she chose Links Of London’s glam ‘Bubble Stiletto’ earrings, which retail at £130. If she hadn't teamed it with a custom-made Jenny Packham gown (rumoured to be worth around the £10k mark), we'd think she was one of us.
Serretta But could she go lower? Yes, our bargain hunting Duchess did, discovering the handmade British jewellery label Serretta's coral and gold drop earrings before her tour of the South Pacific. Buy a pair for yourself for £49, here.
The Cartier Hoop Necklace Always one to match her jewellery to her surroundings (maple leaf brooches on a tour of Canada, Shamrocks on St Patricks) Kate was never going to miss the opportunity to wear hoops during the London 2012 Olympics. And hoops they were, a £49,000 Cartier Trinity Necklace, in fact as she got into the spirit at the National Portrait Gallery’s Olympic exhibition opening.
The Zara Necklace As in Zara! Yes, Kate’s ultimate high street jewellery purchase has to be this statement necklace, worn to the red carpet premiere of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. It retailed at just £30 and, obviously, sold out instantly.
G. Collins & Sons Kate appeared in a brand new set of fine jewels earlier this year, believed to be a gift from Prince William. Crafted by another royal uber-jeweller, G. Collins & Sons, the pear shaped tanzanite and diamond pendant and earrings match the Duchess’ engagement ring.
The Cartier Wedding Day Tiara The Queen lent Kate her 'Halo' tiara for her wedding day in 2011, an incredible family heirloom and a definite seal of approval. Made by Cartier in 1936 and originally bought by King George VI for his wife The Queen Mother, the sparkler is made up of 739 brilliant diamonds and 149 batons. It's probably best that we don't own one. We'd only end up breaking it anyway...
Love Kate Middleton's jewellery file? See our guide to the Duchess's favourite fashion brands, here.