Kate Middleton wore a stunning new brooch to the Anzac Day service this week, and we couldn’t help but notice it paid a warming nod to someone very close to her.
The diamond brooch featured a fern design which looked extremely similar to the design featured on her sister, Pippa Middleton’s, wedding tiara.
In an other sentimental tribute, she paired the stunning piece with Princess Diana’s Collingwood earrings, along with a pretty headband by milliner Jane Taylor.
Kate is known for using her jewellery as a symbol of sentiment, as we often see her wear meaningful pieces to key events. Our jewellery experts at Steven Stone also noticed that the fern brooch Kate wore is not only similar to Pippa’s tiara, but also to Queen Elizabeth’s New Zealand fern brooch, resembling a miniature version of the larger piece gifted to the Queen by the Mayor of Auckland in 1953.
Taking a close look at these key pieces, Steven Stone’s leading jewellery expert Zack Stone reveals everything you need to know.
“Kate Middleton’s brooch features a stunning fern design, very similiar to the tiara worn by her sister, Pippa, on her wedding day. It also resembles Queen Elizabeth’s New Zealand fern brooch, which Kate has previously loaned.
Not only could Kate’s new brooch be a sentimental tribute to her family members, but it could also hold another meaning.
In New Zealand, ferns are believed to symbolise strength and endurance, along with light and guidance.”
zack stone, managing director, steven stone
Kate Middleton’s fern brooch – Estimated value: £5,000
Sporting this brooch for the very first time, Kate Middleton has raised questions on whether the piece was an intentional nod to her sister, Pippa. The brooch features an array of high quality white diamonds displayed on a white gold or platinum fern design, and has an estimated value of around £5,000 according to our experts.
Pippa Middleton’s wedding tiara – Estimated value: £20,000
When Pippa Middleton married James Matthews she wore an incredible custom Robinson Pelham tiara, which stole the show as she walked down the aisle. In 2017, the designer’s exclusively told Vogue: “The piece was meant to radiate romantic simplicity, in keeping with the wedding theme—a task Pippa entrusted to the British jewelers, after witnessing their skill at her sister’s 2011 nuptials.”
The stunning tiara is crafted with diamonds and 18ct white gold. It’s much smaller than many other royal tiaras, including Kate Middleton’s £1,000,000 Cartier Halo tiara, however, is no doubt extremely beautiful.
Queen Elizabeth’s New Zealand Fern brooch – Estimated value: £25,000
This diamond and platinum brooch was presented to the Queen by Lady Allum, wife of the Mayor of Auckland, on behalf of the women of Auckland in 1953.
The silver tree fern it represents is one of the most recognisable symbols of New Zealand.
Her Majesty wears the brooch for visits to New Zealand, and in April 2014, she loaned the brooch to the Duchess of Cambridge to wear during her family visit to New Zealand.
Kate’s Collingwood earrings, which were inherited from Princess Diana, are also a firm favourite. She has worn them on numerous occasion to pay tribute to her late mother-in-law, who’s 12ct Ceylon sapphire engagement ring she also inherited.
These senstational drop-pearl-and-diamond earrings were a wedding gift from the London jeweller, Collingwood, when Princess Diana married Prince Charles. They have been worn by Princess Diana on numerous occasions, both casual and formal.
While pearls can vary in price, the ones featured in these earrings are of the highest quality as they are South Sea pearls. Earrings like this would cost between £30,000 to £35,000 today.
