Kate Middleton has been fortunate enough to inherit many of Princess Diana's jewellery collections, which an expert estimates are worth a whopping £16.5m.
Princess Diana had one of the most impressive jewellery collections, many of which now belong to the Duchess of Cambridge.
From gemstone encrusted rings to diamond earrings, since she married Prince William and joined the royal family, Kate has worn several of this jewellery publicly.
Zack Stone, a leading diamond expert and managing director at Steven Stone jewellers spoke about the various earrings and necklaces worn by Princess Diana and now Kate Middleton, and tried to estimate a value for them while speaking to the Express.
Sapphire engagement ring
Zack said: “Kate's 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.
“Globally, the sale of blue sapphires increased by around 300 percent at the time, and even now, thanks to Netflix show The Crown, sales of sapphires continue to surge, with vintage style halo designs being extremely popular,” he continued.
“Due to inflation and its legacy, we’d estimate the value of this ring to be around £390,000 today, however in 10 years’ time it’s likely this ring will be worth over £500,000, thanks to its history, beauty, and priceless legacy.”
Sapphire earring and necklace set
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The expert added: “The sparkling suite consists of a diamond-and-sapphire necklace, a matching pair of earrings, a ring, and a bracelet, all of which were a wedding gift by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
“This is an incredible jewellery suite, especially the necklace which is a real showstopper.
“This sapphire looks to be around 30 to 35 carats which is almost treble the size of the stone in her engagement ring.
“The matching set would have an estimated value of around £15million.”
Queen Mary's lovers knot tiara
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Zack explained: “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.
“It is worth around £1million – maybe even more thanks to the legacies of the ladies who've worn it.”
Three strand pearl bracelet with diamond clasps
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“The three-strand pearl bracelet was designed by Nigel Milne in 1988, created to support the charity, Birthright,” Zack revealed.
“The bracelet is incredible, it has three rows of cultured pearls with diamond and pearl spacers and clasp.
“Like many of Diana's jewellery it's likely to feature only the finest quality stones and pearls. With that in mind, this bracelet would probably have a value of around £35,000 on today's market.”
Three strand pearl bracelet with diamond clasps
“The three-strand pearl bracelet was designed by Nigel Milne in 1988, created to support the charity, Birthright,” Zack revealed.
“The bracelet is incredible, it has three rows of cultured pearls with diamond and pearl spacers and clasp.
“Like many of Diana's jewellery it's likely to feature only the finest quality stones and pearls. With that in mind, this bracelet would probably have a value of around £35,000 on today's market.”
Collingwood pearl and diamond earrings
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“The refined drop-pearl-and-diamond earrings were a wedding gift from London jeweller, Collingwood, worn by Princess Diana on numerous occasions, both casual and formal,” Zack said.
“Kate Middleton wore the delicate pearl-drop earrings to honour her late mother-in-law at the Queen’s annual garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 15th, 2019.
“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.”
Diamond and south sea pearl earrings
“Kate Middleton debuted Diana’s stunning diamond and south sea pearl earrings at the BAFTA’s in 2019 in London,” the jewellery expert commented.
“Diana frequently wore these earrings both with and without the detachable pearls.
“The earrings feature various cuts of diamonds, including a cluster of marquise cut diamonds in the centre, and a suspended south sea pearl.
“We would value them at around £65,000.”
These items of Diana’s which are now in Kate’s collection come to an estimated value of £16,525,000.
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