Few jewellery collections rival those of the British Royal Family, whose stunning, rare pieces are worn and passed down from generation to generation.
The Queen is rarely seen without her George IV State Diadem, while Princess Diana’s gigantic ceylon sapphire engagement ring made a comeback in 2011 when Prince William presented it to a then-Kate Middleton.
But the royal jewellery collection is far larger than the pieces regularly seen on senior members of the Royal Family.
From long lost wedding tiaras through to Princess Diana’s mismatched earrings, here are a few we’d love to see make a comeback.
The Strathmore Rose Tiara
This floral tiara was known to be a favourite of the Queen Mother’s, however no members of the Royal Family have worn it since the monarch’s passing.
The tiara, which dates back to the nineteenth century, features a number of roses that can be detached and clipped on as brooches.
The Queen Mother was photographed in the past wearing it fashionably low over her forehead.
Evening Standard Insider previously spoke with royal jewellery expert Lauren Kiehna of The Court Jeweller, who speculated that Princess Beatrice could potentially choose the Strathmore Rose Tiara on her eventual wedding day.
She said, “Beatrice also shares her mother's fascination with the Victorian era, so it's possible that we'll see her in a nineteenth-century tiara. The Queen Mother's Strathmore Rose Tiara would fit the bill perfectly.”
The Dagmar Necklace
This pearl and diamond necklace is one of the more lavish pieces in the royal collection, comprised of 118 pearls and 2000 diamonds.
Originally crafted by Copenhagen court jeweller Julius Dideriksen (according to Pearls Before Poppies by Rachel Trethewey), the necklace was gifted to Princess Alexandra by the then-Prince of Wales in 1853 on their wedding day.
It features a cross pendant based on one originally designed for Queen Dagmar, however royal jewellers Garrard later tweaked the necklace so the cross was detachable.
Royals in recent years have since worn it without the cross.
Princess Alexandra was known to love pearls and in a royal portrait was seen wearing the necklace, alongside strings of additional pearl necklaces and chokers.
Although the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth have at different points worn the necklace, it has largely fallen out of the public eye.
The Dagmar Necklace
This pearl and diamond necklace is one of the more lavish pieces in the royal collection and is comprised of 118 pearls and 2000 diamonds. Originally crafted by Copenhagen court jeweller Julius Dideriksen (according to Pearls Before Poppies by Rachel Trethewey), the necklace was gifted to Princess Alexandra by the then-Prince of Wales in 1853 on their wedding day.
It features a cross pendant based on one originally designed for Queen Dagmar, however royal jewellers Garrard later tweaked the necklace so the cross was detachable. Royals in recent years have since gone without the cross.
Princess Alexandra was known to have a strong love of pearls and in a royal portrait was seen wearing the necklace, alongside strings of additional pearl necklaces and chokers. Although the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth have at different points worn the necklace, it has largely fallen out of the public eye.
The Delhi Durbar Necklace
This emerald necklace was a favourite of Queen Mary’s and was crafted in 1921 by Garrard from emeralds gifted to the queen’s grandmother.
Featuring nine emeralds, it also includes the 8.8 ct Cullinan VII diamond.
It has a complex colonial history, as it was made for Queen Mary to wear to the Delhi Durbar - a ceremony that declared her and her husband King George V the Empress and Emperor of India.
The Queen has worn it multiple times in the past, sometimes complemented by the Vladimir Tiara and its detachable emerald drops.
One of the last times it was seen worn in public in 1996, however it was exhibited in 2006 alongside a swathe of other emerald jewellery - including the Vladimir tiara and Queen Mary’s art deco necklace, which was worn by Princess Diana and is sometimes mistaken for the same piece.
Princess Diana’s Saudi Sapphire choker
Not only do we want this necklace to come back into the royal wardrobe, but we also want to see it worn the way Princess Diana did.
Although royals have in the past worn tiaras low on the forehead, Princess Diana made a real fashion statement in the 80s when she put her own spin on it.
Besides wearing Queen Mary’s art deco necklace (mentioned above) in this fashion, she also wore her Saudi Sapphire Choker in the same way.
When she married Prince Charles, she was gifted a collection of sapphire jewels from the Crown Prince of Arabia to match her iconic engagement ring - which included this sapphire, diamond and blue velvet choker.
While she wore it as a necklace multiple times, it was catapulted into the halls of royal fashion fame when she opted to wear it as a headband to a 1986 state dinner in Tokyo.
It has not been seen since she passed away, but it might be in Prince Harry or Prince William’s possession as she reportedly declared in her will that all her jewellery would pass to her sons.
Princess Margaret's Poltimore Tiara
Princess Margaret’s wedding tiara is one of the grandest ever seen on a royal, worn for her wedding to Anthony Armstrong-Jones.
It was unusually purchased for her at auction for £5,500 shortly before her wedding day. The piece was originally made by Garrard for Lady Poltimore in 1870.
She was also pictured wearing it in an iconic portrait shot by her photographer husband, which saw her pose in a bubble bath wearing nothing but the tiara.
The towering piece is much larger than ones you’ll typically see on Royal Family members (barring Princess Diana’s Lover’s Knot tiara) and additionally can be converted into brooches or a necklace, which is how Princess Margaret would occasionally wear it to events such as a night at the theatre.
Featuring a design comprised of scrolls and clusters, the tiara is embedded with numerous old-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds.
Sadly, it’s very unlikely we’ll ever see this tiara again on a member of the Royal Family. It was controversially sold by Princess Margaret’s son Lord Snowdon to help settle a £3m inheritance tax bill.
The piece, which was estimated to be sold for $350,000, went for a staggering $1.7 million in 2006 at Christie’s.
Lord Snowdon said at the time, “There were many, many reasons, mostly financial, that persuaded us that that was the correct route because, you know, when people die, taxes need to be paid.”
Oriental Circlet Tiara
It’s been over a decade since we’ve last seen the Oriental Circlet, which was a favoured piece of the Queen Mother. The delicate Garrard tiara - which is said to have been inspired by existing jewellery in the royal collection - was commissioned by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1853.
Although it was initially set with opals, the stones were later changed to rubies and passed into Queen Elizabeth’s hands after her mother passed away.
The Queen has only worn it a handful of times and its most recent notable appearance was in 2005, when the Queen wore it paired with diamond and ruby accessories over the course of a trip to Malta.
Princess Diana’s Mismatched Ruby and Sapphire Earrings
Ever one to push the style boundaries, Princess Diana switched things up on a 1992 tour to Seoul, South Korea.
The late princess opted for unusually mismatched earrings; one featuring a ruby and pearl while the other featured a blue stone and white pearl, for an avant-garde look.
It’s likely that these are a part of the collection she left behind to her sons Prince William and Prince Harry, though they haven’t been seen since the 90s.
Kate Middleton’s wedding earrings
These charming earrings are the amongst least elaborate on the list, but are weighted with meaning.
During her 2011 wedding to Prince WIlliam, Kate debuted a pair of diamond pear drop earrings which featured miniature dangling acorns and oak leaves. It was later discovered that they were designed by Robinson Pelham and gifted to her by her parents, with the oak/acorn referencing the Middletons’ coat of arms.
The Middleton coat of arms was designed for the family ahead of the royal wedding and according to Harper’s Bazaar, the three acorns depicted in it represent Kate and her siblings James and Pippa.
For the most part, Kate has rarely worn the earrings out in public since her wedding day. She did however wear them for an Easter church service last year.
