The extensive and expensive list of Queen Elizabeth II’s private jewelery collection includes some of the world’s most iconic minerals. Since her death on September 8, 2022, speculation has mounted about what happened to her collection of luxury items.
The collection intertwines the history of the royal family with former British colonies, allies of the United Kingdom and friends of the royal family.
This does not include the jewelery she received through the royal family’s trust, known as the Crown Jewels.
In accordance with Forbes magazinee, the late Queen of England had more than $500 million in personal assets, including her investments, jewelry and real estate. The value of all the precious stones the Queen had access to, including the Crown Jewels, is estimated at $3.48 billion.
The main tiaras of the queen
The Queen’s Royal Jewelery Collection is one of the largest jewelery collections in the world, with no less than 50 tiaras. Royal brides Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton wore two of Queen Elizabeth’s most famous tiaras at their weddings.
Markle wore the Queen’s diamond tiara at her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. It was a gift from Queen Mary and some of the diamonds on this tiara date back to the 1800s.
In 2011, Middleton wore a Cartier Halo tiara containing nearly 1,000 diamonds at her wedding to Prince William. It was previously loaned to Princess Diana, the first wife of King Charles, who wore it at her wedding.
Queen Mary gave the then Princess Elizabeth a tiara that became one of her favorite pieces as a wedding gift. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara was named after a committee of women who raised funds to buy a tiara for Princess Mary in the 1800s.
In accordance with Page sixthe queen called this piece “Grandma’s Tiara”.
South African diamond necklace and bracelet
One of the late Queen’s earliest additions to her personal jewelery collection was a 21st birthday gift from the Government of the Union of South Africa.
Originally consisting of a 10-carat necklace with 21 diamonds, the necklace was later joined by a six-carat stone necklace given to the Queen by the then chairman of jewelery giant De Beers, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer. The then Princess Elizabeth collected the expensive gift during a visit to the Kimberley Mine on April 18, 1947.
In 1952, the necklace was shortened and the removed stones were made into a bracelet.
Read also:Queen’s best friend: What will become of Queen Elizabeth’s corgi?
Williamson diamond brooch
A stunning and unique part of the Queen’s collection is the famous Williamson diamond brooch. It is said to contain what is believed to be the finest pink diamond ever found Forbes.
The stone was discovered at the Mwadui mine in Tanganyika, owned by Canadian royalist and geologist Dr. John Thorburn Williamson, in October 1947. So the diamond was named after him. Diamond Williamson gave to Princess Elizabeth as a wedding gift, uncut and weighing 54.5 carats.
Read also: ABBA to Fred Astaire: A look at Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite tunes
Jewelers later cut the massive stone into a 23.6 carat round diamond. Although the stone was expected to be set for use at her coronation, it was used instead as the center of a brooch designed by Cartier in 1953.
In accordance with Court jeweler, Dr. Williamson presented the Queen-in-waiting with 203 smaller diamonds that made up the brooch’s petal, stem, and leaves. Tanganyika is part of what is now known as Tanzania and was once a British colony ruled by Queen Elizabeth between 1961 and 1964.
