The Hidden Meaning Behind Iconic Pieces of Royal Jewelry
Some are hundreds of years old.
Royal families' jewelry collections boast pieces of enormous significance—historically, financially, and otherwise. Sometimes dating back centuries, almost every piece is rich with meaning. This is particularly true of the British royal family, but—as you'll see—they aren't the only ones with significant collections.
Ahead, the hidden meaning behind treasured and standout pieces of royal jewelry.
The Fleet Air Arm Brooch
Returning to public life after cancer treatment, Kate Middleton visited the Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton in September 2023 with a tiny winged pin. That summer, King Charles had appointed her as the Commodore-in-Chief, Fleet AirKing (the Navy's aviation arm). She attended Remembrance Weekend in 2023 with the pin as well.
Princess Eugenie's Engagement Ring
Jack Brooksbank chose a rare padparadscha sapphire for the center of Princess Eugenie's engagement ring because it apparently reminded him of her. Intriguingly, it also pays homage to royal tradition: it apparently looked strikingly like the engagement ring her father gave her mother, Sarah Ferguson.
The Regimental Yeomany Brooch
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, wore meaningful jewelry during Remembrance Weekend in 2023. That unique running fox brooch under the traditional poppy was actually the regimental brooch of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry (QOY); Sophie was named Colonel-in-Chief of the QOY in 2022.
The Oriental Circlet Tiara
The Oriental Circlet Tiara is one of the oldest pieces of jewelry in the British Royal collection; it was made for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert and has 2,600 diamonds and opals. She wore it until Albert's death; Queen Alexandra believed opals were unlucky and swapped them out with Burmese rubies instead. It was also a favorite piece of the Queen Mother's.
Queen Mary of Denmark's Engagement Ring
Then-Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark proposed to then-Mary Donaldson in 2003. The central stone is an emerald-cut diamond and there are two ruby baguettes on the side—the colors of the Danish flag. Later, four diamond baguettes were added to symbolize their four children.
The Coronation Spoon
If you're unfamiliar: yes, there is an official Coronation Spoon. It was saved from Parliament's destruction of the Crown Jewels in 1649 because a former official purchased it. After the Restoration, he gave the spoon to Charles II. Holy oil is poured from the ampulla (bird) onto the spoon for anointing the sovereign.
Queen Elizabeth's Three Stranded Pearls
Queen Elizabeth II wore her three-strand pearl necklace quite often during her seventy-year reign; it was a gift her father, King George VI, had given her before his death. After her passing, Princess Anne began wearing the piece, paying quiet tribute to her late mother.
Prince Albert's Sapphire Brooch
Prince Albert’s sapphire brooch is one of the oldest Royal Family heirlooms. It was his pre-wedding gift the day before his wedding to Queen Victoria: a blue Burmese sapphire over 118 carats, surrounded by 12 diamonds. Victoria wore it on her wedding day and often afterwards. After her death, each queen and consort has worn it, including Elizabeth and Camilla.
Queen Maxima of the Netherland's Engagement Ring
The future King Willem Alexander proposed to the future Queen Máxima of the Netherlands with an engagement ring that included the national color of the Netherlands: an orange oval-cut diamond, which was then flanked by white emerald-cut diamonds and encircled by pavé diamonds. Here, she wears it on her left hand, but will sometimes switch and wear it on her right.
The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Originally a gift to Queen Mary, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara was favored so much by Queen Elizabeth and worn so often that it became known as "Granny's Tiara." It is the crown that's featured on her portrait on the £5 note! The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland was the fundraising committee that gave the tiara to Mary in the first place.
Meghan Markle's Engagement Ring
Meghan Markle's engagement ring features a central diamond from Botswana (a place that has important personal significance for her and Prince Harry) and flanked by two diamonds from Princess Diana's jewelry collection. It's a sweet nod to Harry's mother.
The Nizam of Hyderabad Diamond Necklace
The Indian state of Hyderabad was the location of the Golconda mines, from which the world's most famous diamonds (including the Hope Diamond and Koh-i-Noor) were mined. The state's collection of jewels are now considered a national treasure; here, Kate Middleton wore Queen Elizabeth's Cartier "Nizam of Hyderabad" diamond necklace, a wedding present from Mir Osman Ali Khan, 7th Nizam of Hyderabad.
The Vladimir Circle Tiara
The Vladimir Circle Tiara originally belonged to the Grand Duchess Vladimir, Tsar Nicholas II's aunt. She just barely managed to escape Russia after the Tsar's assassination, and her jewelry traveled to England for safekeeping. After she died, the tiara was sold to Queen Mary and subsequently passed down to Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth's Engagement Ring
Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring from Prince Philip included diamonds from a tiara that belonged to Philip's mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. Philip designed the ring himself and used the remaining diamonds to fashion a bracelet for Elizabeth.
Grace Kelly's Engagement Ring
Prince Rainier III of Monaco proposed to Grace Kelly with a Cartier ring with alternating diamonds and rubies. Like others on this list, it represented the colors of Monaco's flag and was made using jewels from the royal family's collection. Rainier later also gave Kelly a much larger ring, inspired by a piece she wore in a movie.
Cartier Halo Tiara
The Halo Tiara has been with the Royal Family since the 1930s, with King George VI commissioning it for his wife. It has 888 diamonds, and was handed down to Elizabeth and worn by Princess Margaret. It's sometimes referred to as a "beginner tiara" and was most famously worn by Kate Middleton at her wedding.
Collingwood Diamond and Pearl Earrings
Kate Middleton wore her Collingwood diamond and pearl earrings to the Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in 2025 (pictured here), but this was actually a gift from Collingwood Jewellers to Princess Diana. They're complementary to Diana's signature Lover's Knot Tiara, and she wore them on tour often. In turn, Kate has worn them since becoming a royal.
Queen Elizabeth's Brooch
This brooch is one of Queen Elizabeth's most valuable pieces. It's made up of the Cullinan V diamond, with a heart-shaped 18.8-carat diamond cut from the largest rough diamond ever found. It was originally made for Queen Mary; the Royal Family also owns a brooch featuring the Cullinan III and IV diamonds, from the same rough diamond.
Queen Alexandra Parure
Prince Albert gifted this parure (set of jewels designed to be worn together) to Princess Alexandra as a wedding present in 1863. The Rundell Tiara was passed to Princess Victoria after Alexandra died; the prevailing theory is that she "disposed" of it. The remaining pieces were given to Queen Mary and have remained with the Royal Family. Kate Middleton wore it in 2020!
The Black Orlov Diamond
The Orlov Diamond (not be confused with the Black Orlov Diamond) came from the imperial scepter of Russian Empress Catherine the Great. It was apparently a gift from her former lover, Count Grigory Orlov; it now sits as part of the Diamond Fund collection of Moscow's Kremlin Armoury.
Queen Mary Fringe Tiara
On her wedding day, Queen Elizabeth wore a fringe tiara with some impressive history. It was originally commissioned for Queen Mary for her wedding day in 1919 and features jewels originally from a necklace belonging to Queen Victoria. If you can believe it, the tiara broke hours before Elizabeth's ceremony, but jewelers fixed it in time. More recently, she lent it to Princess Beatrice for her wedding day.
Bahrain Pearl Diamond Drop Earrings
These pearl drop earrings were given to then-Princess Elizabeth by the ruler of Bahrain as a wedding gift. Princess Diana wore the earrings in 1982; Kate Middleton has worn them more than once, including poignant events including Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth's funerals.
The Missing Lozenge Bandeau
The Diamond Lozenge Bandeau is very mysterious: originally commissioned by Queen Mary (shown above), it was given to and worn by Princess Margaret. There are few photos—you can see a picture of it here—and it was considered lost since 1964. In 2024 it reappeared, being worn by a member of the Malaysian royal family at a wedding (it apparently had been purchased at auction in 1988).
Princess Diana's Engagement Ring
Did you know? The sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring that Princess Diana selected was actually a catalog piece instead of something custom. According to the jeweler Garrard, the stone combination was inspired by the Prince Albert sapphire brooch gifted to Queen Victoria (also owned by the Royal Family).
The Sovereign’s Scepter
The Sovereign’s Scepter (staff) has been used at every Royal Family coronation since Charles II in 1661. In 1910, jewelers added the Cullinan I diamond, the largest colorless cut diamond in the world and weighing just over 530 carats, for King George V. Its value is, likely, priceless.
Lover's Knot Tiara
Even if you don't know much about royal jewelry, you've probably seen the pearl-adorned Lover’s Knot Tiara. It was one of Princess Diana's signature tiaras, although Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Kate Middleton have worn it as well. It contains 19 suspended pearls and (per its name) lover's knot motifs, with the stones coming from Queen Mary's private collection.
The Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
This crown has 2,800 diamonds, but the most famous of them all the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor in the middle of the front cross. The stone is controversial and symbolic of conquest; it was presented to Queen Victoria in 1851 after the Anglo-Sikh Wars. It adorned several crowns before being set into this one.
The French Crown Jewels
This is not one single piece; the French Crown Jewels apparently included world-famous pieces. A few of them are now at the Louvre Museum, but the majority of them were sold at auction in the 1880s—a move to symbolize the end of the monarchy. Charles Tiffany, founder of Tiffany Co., purchased many of them.
Regent Diamond
One of the most notable pieces from the former French Crown Jewels is the Regent Diamond. The diamond weighs over 140 carats and was set into the crowns and headgear of French royalty, including Louis XV and Marie Antoinette. It currently sits in the Louvre.
The Kokoshnik Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara is a standout heirloom. The Queen consort of King Edward VII was apparently a lover of jewels; this was designed by Garrard and commissioned by a group of aristocratic women to celebrate Alexandra's wedding anniversary. According to Garrard, the royal designed it herself—with 400 diamonds, it could be converted into a necklace.
The Savoy Jewels
The House of Savoy jewels were hidden during World War II to prevent seizure by the Nazis after the Italian monarchy was abolished. They currently sit in the Bank of Italy; descendants of the Savoys argue that the jewels belong to them, but the state argues that they are considered national cultural heritage.
The Imperial State Crown
Arguably the most significant piece in the Royal Family's possession, the Imperial State Crown is the official crown of the monarch. The center stone, St. Edward’s Sapphire, was allegedly worn by St. Edward the Confessor and found in his tomb in 1163. The piece also includes the Cullinan II diamond (317 carats), plus 2,867 more diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 269 pearls.
