Queen Elizabeth’s 8 Most Iconic Pieces of Jewelry — and Who Will Inherit Them
Queen Elizabeth II was known for her extensive personal jewelry collection that was worth millions. In addition to the crown jewels, the late monarch’s private pieces included recognizable brooches, tiaras, and necklaces that were gifts made from gems sourced around the world.
Because Her Majesty’s will is sealed, we won’t know who specifically will inherit each piece. However, the bulk of the collection will go to King Charles III.
“It is likely that she would want to pass on items from her private collection to her loved ones,” royal commentator Josh Rom told the New York Post. “The bulk of the collection will pass to Charles — with Camilla as his queen consort — and then Kate, so they may not be left anything big [in the will].”
The queen also loaned out numerous pieces during her 70-year reign. And Rom says it is likely those items will be bequeathed to the royal family members who borrowed them. He noted that if a piece was left to a specific family member in the queen’s will, the recipient would be required to pay a 40 percent inheritance tax. Here are eight of Queen Elizabeth’s most iconic pieces of jewelry.
1. Queen Elizabeth wore the Diamond Diadem for her first royal portrait
The headpiece known as the Diamond Diadem is instantly recognizable because the queen wore it in 1952 for her first royal portrait taken by Dorothy Wilding just weeks into her reign. That photo is what appeared on postage stamps in the UK from 1953 to 1971.
Created for the coronation of King George IV in 1821, the diamond diadem features a band of two rows of pearls, either side a row of diamonds, and 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds. It was also worn by Queen Victoria for the Penny Black stamp.
“Dating back to the coronation of King George IV in the 1800’s, the famous diamond diadem is beautifully set with Edwardian cut stones and a striking four-carat fancy yellow diamond,” says jewelry expert Maxwell Stone.
“Passed through the monarchy to Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth I and now Queen Elizabeth II – modeled on postage stamps by the latter two royals – it has huge historic value. With this in mind, I’d estimate its worth to be around £6,000,000.”
The piece is currently on view in the State Rooms of Queen Elizabeth Reportedly ‘Never Really Liked’ Buckingham Palace: ‘It’s No Surprise She Moved,’ Royal Expert Says for the Royal Collection’s queen accession exhibition.
2. Her Majesty’s Burmese ruby tiara was made from gems she received as a wedding present
In 1973, Queen Elizabeth commissioned the royal jeweler House of Garrard to create her Burmese Ruby Tiara using the gems she received in 1947 as a wedding gift from the people of Burma. To create the tiara, 96 rubies were combined with a selection of diamonds.
Rubies are believed to have healing qualities. And the reason the people of Burma gave the queen 96 stones was that they believe there are 96 illnesses that can hit one’s body. The 96 rubies were a gesture of protection for the queen’s health.
“The beautiful tiara is not only sentimental, but it’s also very valuable, as Burmese rubies are extremely precious and rare. The tiara’s jewels are set in a series of rose motifs inspired by the Tudor Rose, which pay homage to British Heritage. Considering the number of rubies and diamonds featured in this piece, we estimate it has a staggering value of around £7,000,000,” Stone says.
3. Queen Elizabeth’s Nizam of Hyderabad necklace was a wedding gift
The Queen received another incredible wedding gift from the Nizam of Hyderabad, who at the time was one of the wealthiest people in the world. Legend has it that he told Cartier to allow Queen Elizabeth to choose anything she wanted from their impressive collection. She chose a tiara with three detachable flower brooches and a necklace.
One of the most talked about pieces in the queen’s collection, Cartier made this extremely intricate necklace in 1935 — featuring over 50 diamonds and an abstract floral design.
It has an estimated value of £65,000,000, and it was worn by Kate Middleton in 2019 for a Diplomatic Reception along with the famous Lover’s Knot tiara.
4. The Prince Albert brooch has a special story behind it
The Prince Albert brooch was one of the queen’s most special jewels, and it became a staple accessory throughout Queen Elizabeth’s reign. In 1840, Prince Albert secretly commissioned Garrards to make a sapphire and diamond brooch for Victoria, his bride-to-be.
He gave the piece to her on their wedding night, and she loved it so much that she wore it often. The brooch is said to have inspired the engagement ring that King Charles gave to Lady Diana Spencer — which is now worn by the Princess of Wales.
“The brooch contains a large oval or cushion-shaped sapphire, which is at least 40cts. The breathtaking gem is also surrounded by 12 large diamonds, which look to be around 12cts.
Due to the clarity and intense color of the sapphire it was possibly sourced from Burma. If it was to be sold today, it would be worth around £8,000,000, thanks to its historic legacy,” Stone says.
5. Queen Elizabeth rarely wore the Cullinan III and IV brooch
The famous Cullinan Diamond was a jaw-dropping 3,106-carat uncut diamond that was presented to King Edward VII in 1907 and cut the following year. The two largest stones were set in the Sovereign’s scepter and the Imperial State Crown. And, the pear-shaped 94.4 carats Cullinan III and the square-cut 63 carat Cullinan IV were presented to Queen Mary by the Government in 1910. And in 1911, she commissioned Carrington and Co. to make a platinum brooch setting for the stones.
Queen Elizabeth inherited the piece in 1953, but she rarely wore it. Instead, the brooch is often part of exhibits — like the one at the palace for the queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. It has an estimated value of £50,000,000.
6. The King George VI Sapphire Suite went on a tour of Canada
Among the queen’s most meaningful jewels were the King George VI sapphires. The demi-parure was a wedding gift from her father, and it consisted of a Victorian-era necklace and earrings.
Before she had it redesigned in 1952, the incredible sapphire and diamond cluster line necklace originally featured 18 sapphires, sat on a gradient, ranging from 8 to 30cts. The huge sapphires were surrounded by a halo of diamonds and linked together by additional single-stone diamonds.
When the queen altered the necklace, she removed four of the sapphire clusters from the back and had one of the larger stones from the front remodeled and reset to create a beautiful pendant for the necklace. During the 1960s, the queen commissioned a matching bracelet to accompany the set.
She took the entire suite with her on her royal tour of Canada in 1990. She also wore the pieces for her official Canadian royal portrait in 2019.
7. Queen Elizabeth wore the Diamond Fringe Tiara on her wedding day
Many of the queen’s most iconic pieces were either wedding gifts, or something she wore on her wedding day. And the Diamond Fringe Tiara is no exception. Commissioned by Queen Mary in 1919, the tiara was once a fringe necklace given to her by Queen Victoria for her own wedding in 1893.
Mary asked Garrard to make the necklace into a ‘kokoshnik-style piece,” per Crisscut, consisting of “47 graduated brilliant and rose-set tapering bars and separated by 46 narrower spikes, which could still be removed to make a necklace.”
The Queen Mother loaned the tiara to Elizabeth on her wedding day, but when it was placed on her head it snapped. Before she could walk down the aisle, Garrard jewelers had to repair it. Princess Anne wore this tiara for her wedding in 1973 to Mark Phillips. It was also the piece Mattel used when designing the Queen Elizabeth Barbie Doll in honor of her Platinum Jubilee.
8. Her Majesty’s Delhi Durbar necklace has a scandalous history
One of the most magnificent necklaces in the queen’s collection was the Delhi Durbar, which also has a scandalous family history dating back to King George III in 1817. Queen Elizabeth inherited the necklace in 1953, and she wore it on numerous occasions.
“Set in platinum and gold, the Delhi Durbar necklace consists of nine of the celebrated Cambridge emeralds that look to be upwards of 20 carats, and six large diamonds that look to be upwards of 10 carats. Impressively, it also features a diamond cut from the Cullinan diamond, which is the largest diamond ever found,” says Stone.
The jewelry expert estimates the necklace is worth £3,000,000.
