The Royal Family have long been known for their vast collection of valuable jewellery, with a lot of their pieces holding great sentimental value – having been passed through generations.
To celebrate Princess Charlotte’s birthday on 2nd May, fine jewellery and engagement ring experts at Steven Stone have had a look into Kate Middleton’s gorgeous collection to see which pieces she’s likely to pass on to hers and Prince William’s daughter – including pieces that belonged to Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II.
Leading Diamond Expert, Maxwell Stone commented: “Kate Middleton’s immaculate style is always complete with a set of pristine accessories. From her 12ct sapphire engagement ring and the £1 million tiara that originally belonged to Princess Diana, to the pearl drop earrings that she wore to the funerals of both Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth II, a large number of her pieces have sentimentality attached to them – making it highly likely that Princess Charlotte will inherit them in the future.”
Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara
Estimated value: £1,000,000 ($1,320,000)
The dazzling diamond and pearl tiara was originally designed for Queen Mary back in 1913 which passed on for her granddaughter. Queen Elizabeth II reportedly presented it to Diana for her royal wedding day in 1981, although she respectfully declined and opted to wear her father’s Spencer’s Family Tiara instead.
Despite this, the Lover’s Knot became one of her favourite pieces, although it’s claimed to have been so heavy that it hurt her head.
The fact that it’s so heavy it hurt Princess Diana’s head indicates that this is a valuable tiara, embellished with the finest quality diamonds and pearls.
Maxwell said: “Though Kate didn’t wear the Lover’s Knot Tiara for the first few years of her royal tenure, it has since become her headwear of choice and it’s highly likely that we’ll see it modelled by Princess Charlotte in the future.”
Engagement Ring
Estimated value: £390,000 ($500,000)
In many years to come, Princess Charlotte is likely to inherit both her mother’s engagement ring and wedding band.
Kate Middleton’s engagement ring, which was formerly Princess Diana’s, features a 12 carat Ceylon sapphire, originating from Sri Lanka. Like with most precious gemstones, the quality and value of a sapphire is graded by its colour and hue, which can range from a light, pale blue to a dark, royal blue. The sapphire is a deep, royal blue, of AAAA quality, making it amongst the most valuable of its kind.
Wedding band
Estimated value: £2,300 ($3,000)
The traditional gold wedding band that sits neatly beside the Duchess’s engagement ring was made from the royal family’s collection of Welsh yellow gold and is similar to the same worn by both the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II.
While this ring probably doesn’t hold much retail value on the surface, considering the nugget of gold it was made from, and the legacy of the lady who wears it, it is likely to be worth a lot more in the coming years.
Yellow and white gold suite
Estimated value: £250,000 ($330,000)
Following her wedding to Prince William, the then Prince Charles gifted Kate a set of matching yellow and white gold pieces.
The precious set includes a ring, a bracelet and a pair of drop earrings that she has since worn on multiple occasions.
Amethyst and tourmaline earrings
Estimated value: £3,500 ($4,700)
After the arrival of Princess Charlotte in 2015, Kate was seen wearing a beautiful pair of green amethyst and green tourmaline earrings, known to also be a push present. The earrings came from one of her favourite jewellery designers, Kiki McDonough, and have an estimated price tag of around £3,500.
Not many people have heard about green amethyst, most people automatically assume amethyst to only be a purple gemstone. However, you can also get amethyst in this stunning, soft, glistening green colour.
It is believed that green amethyst strengthens peace and calm, and brings generosity, growth, health, harmony, and stability, making the perfect stone for a new mother. The stone carries the same properties as purple amethyst, bringing energies of serenity and composure, and enhancing your ability to manage all responsibilities.
Green Tourmaline is also traditionally said to have some invigorating qualities. Crystal healers believe this is an excellent stone to use or wear to relieve chronic fatigue and exhaustion, providing beneficial influence to all things that live and grow.
Personalised gold necklace
Estimated value: £495 ($655)
Just two weeks after her 38th birthday, during a visit to the Ely and Careau Children’s Centre in Cardiff, Kate Middleton stepped out wearing a personalised gold necklace that is suspected to have been a birthday gift from Prince William.
The necklace was designed by British jeweller Daniella Draper and is retailed as the ‘Gold Midnight Moon’ necklace. Celebrating her family, the personalised piece features the initials G, C and L for her three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Maxwell commented: “Though it has little monetary value, the necklace certainly oozes with sentimental value. Connected to her parents and siblings, it’s a piece that Princess Charlotte is likely to treasure.”
Ballon Bleu de Cartier
Estimated value: £20,000 ($26,000)
In celebration of their third wedding anniversary back in 2014, Prince William gifted Middleton the Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch complete with sapphire detailing—a timepiece quite similar to both Princess Diana’s and his own.
The sapphire details perfectly complements the stone in Kate’s engagement ring, making the pair a match made in heaven.
Maxwell said: “This beautiful timepiece is detailed with black Roman numerals on a silver dial along with Cartier’s signature blue steel sword-shaped hands.
Worn by Kate and sharing similarities with both Princess Diana’s and Prince William’s watch, it’s laced with sentimentality and truly an heirloom that can be passed down through generations.“
Collingwood diamond and pearl earrings
Estimated value: £30,000 ($40,000)
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.
Kate Middleton inherited the earrings, wearing them to honour her late mother-in-law at the Queen’s annual garden party at Buckingham Palace on 15th May 2019.
Maxwell said: “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.
Kate is renowned for wearing the earrings to honour her late mother in law, Princess Diana. Thus, Princess Charlotte could wear them in the future to honour both her Mother and late Grandmother.”
Promise Ring
Estimated value: £2,000 ($2,500)
While Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is no doubt her most iconic piece of jewellery, it wasn’t the first ring she received from Prince William.
When they were dating back at University, the love-struck Prince gifted Kate a promise ring, which she wore on her middle finger.
Set on a rose gold Victorian band, the ring features two garnets which are Kate’s birthstone for January, and pearls to represent William’s birthstone for June.
The simple yet stunning ring contains a lot of symbolism as it features the birthstones of both Prince William and Kate.
Maxwell said: “This ring reveals a lot about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship and their personalities. Gifted to Kate by William during their time at University, it’s no doubt very sentimental and while Kate has a very high value jewellery collection, this particular piece is priceless.
Design wise, it looks to be from the Victorian era, from the late 1800’s and is most likely set on a 15ct gold band, which is what they used at the time.
“Though it’s probably worth no more than £2,000, it’s one of our favourite pieces from Kate’s collection thanks to the beautiful symbolism that it holds. Representing the start of a new chapter in the royal couple’s lives, the sentimental ring is likely to be passed down to the royal couple’s daughter, Princess Charlotte.”
Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings
Estimated value: £7,000 ($8,800)
The Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings were crafted from a shell containing seven pearls, which was a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II from the ruler of Bahrain in 1947.
The late monarch gifted the earrings to Kate, who has sported them on several occasions in the past – including during her visit to Balmoral Castle in Scotland in August 2018, and to the Queen’s annual Trooping the Colour parade in celebration of her birthday on 8th June 2019.
In April 2021, Kate worn the earrings to Prince Phillip’s funeral, as a subtle nod to Queen Elizabeth II. She also wore them to the late monarch’s funeral in September 2022.
Our experts estimate the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings to be worth £7,000.
Maxwell commented: “The Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings hold a great deal of sentimentality as they were a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II from the ruler of Bahrain in 1947. I’d estimate them to be worth £7,000.
It’s incredibly heartwarming that Kate wore the earrings to the funerals of both Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth II – the Princess obviously associates them with the late monarch and Prince.
It’s highly likely that Kate will pass the earrings down to Princess Charlotte, enabling her to pay homage to her Grandparents and Mother with one piece of jewellery.”
If you’re inspired by Kate Middleton’s jewellery choices, why not take a look at our collection of necklaces, rings, and bracelets in a range of beautiful precious gemstones? We also have an extensive range of engagement and wedding rings.
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