When it comes to enviable jewellery, the Royal Family reign supreme. From diamond rings to pearl pendants, the collection of royal jewellery contains some magnificent pieces. With so many beautiful and historic pieces, it’s hard to pick the best of the marvellous collection. However, some special items are particularly dazzling – and particularly pricey! It’s no secret that some of these pieces must come with an incredible price tag, but just how much are the most expensive royal jewellery pieces worth? Neill Dutta, Managing Director at Angelic Diamonds helps take a closer look.
The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara: between £5 million to £10 million
This stunning piece has captured the public’s imagination in recent years. This is in part because of its beauty and in part because of its incredible estimated value. This stunning tiara was hidden away in the royal vaults for more than half a century, but it was reintroduced to the world when Princess Eugenie wore it on her wedding day in 2018. Originally owned by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who was gifted it by Dame Margaret Greville in 1942, the tiara was passed down to Queen Elizabeth II, who loaned it to Princess Eugenie for her special day.
The gorgeous jewellery piece showcases an incredible feature cabochon emerald along with six smaller emeralds and rose-cut diamonds. The design which was crafted by Boucheron was inspired by the “kokoshnik”, a traditional Russian headpiece.
It is estimated that this spectacular jewellery piece could be worth up to an incredible £10 million. This puts it up there with the most expensive pieces ever made.
The Queen’s Oriental Circlet tiara: £6 million+
Another breathtaking jewellery piece with a staggering price tag is the Queen’s Oriental Circlet tiara. The estimated value of this stunning jewellery piece is over £6 million, and it has also been passed down through generations of royals.
Originally designed by Prince Albert as a gift for Queen Victoria, this piece was crafted with opals and diamonds in the shape of seventeen lotus flowers. When it was passed down to Queen Alexandra, the opals were replaced with rubies, as opals were believed to be unlucky. Despite its beauty, this tiara was rarely worn by any of its owners until it reached the hands of the Queen Mother, who showcased it on many occasions.
Queen Mary’s fringe tiara: £5 million+
Next in this diamond-encrusted line-up, we have the gorgeous fringe tiara, which has an estimated value of over £5 million. This unique jewellery piece was commissioned by the Queen’s grandmother, Queen Mary, and made by E. Wolff and Co. in 1919. The tiara features an array of stunning diamonds and is set in gold and silver. Fringe-style tiaras were popular with many royal families, and the trend is reflected in the historic jewellery collection owned by the British royals.
One thing that makes this fringe tiara particularly special is the fact that it was worn by Queen Elizabeth II on her wedding day. Despite looking beautiful, however, the tiara did cause a mishap on that day. To everyone’s shock, it snapped and had to be speedily fixed by a jeweller before the Queen could leave for Westminster Abbey.
This fabulous tiara enjoyed another moment in the limelight when the Queen’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, wore it to her wedding in July 2020.
Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau: £2 million
Many people will recognise Queen Mary’s beautiful diamond bandeau as one of the jewellery pieces worn by Meghan Markle during her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. This tiara was loaned to Meghan from the Queen for the special occasion. Originally owned by Queen Mary, this piece features a central design that was originally a diamond brooch. The rest of the tiara was created to accommodate the stunning brooch and made from eleven sections that come together to create a flexible band. It was crafted in platinum and is embellished with dazzling pave-set diamonds in addition to the gorgeous central design.
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara: Between £700,000 and £2 million
Last but certainly not least, we have the famous Lover’s Knot tiara. Many extremely high-profile royals have been pictured wearing this breathtaking jewellery piece, including Princess Diana and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. Like many of the most valuable royal jewellery pieces, this tiara was originally created for Queen Mary. It was crafted by the House of Garrand in 1914 and features impressive pearls and diamonds that were already part of the royal jewellery collection. After the death of Queen Mary, the tiara was passed down to Queen Elizabeth II, who favoured this piece during the 1950s. The Queen wasn’t the only one who loved this jewellery piece; Princess Diana was photographed wearing it on many occasions, even though it was supposedly so heavy that it hurt her head.
Although the exact value of this tiara isn’t known, experts have placed the figure at somewhere between £700,000 and £2 million, putting it among the most expensive pieces within the royal collection.
The beauty, the history, and the almighty cost of these pieces are enough to leave anyone speechless, especially considering that this is only a handful of gorgeous pieces among a truly enviable royal collection.
