Her Highness jewels
a legacy left behind…
Twenty-seven odd years since Lady Diana Spencer left not just a legacy of Resilience, Strength and Compassion but also an exquisite collection of jewels that holds emotional and historic significance.
A complete natural when it came to making ‘ahead of time’ fashion statement, a true royal icon the 20th century had ever seen, lets look at some of her statement pieces!
The Iconic Blue Sapphire Ring
An icon, a legend, she’s the moment – 19yr old Diana made an unusual choice for a royal on choosing a 12 carat oval Ceylon sapphire set in 18karat white gold surrounded by diamonds – a ring which was then easily available for the public to buy from the then crown jeweler, Garrard.
Emerald Diamond Necklace
Talking about making statement and being ahead of her time, in 1985 she stunned the guests at an high society dinner party in Australia by wearing a priceless Emerald Necklace as a headband, a change she decide to make last minute. The necklace dates back to 1911, third Delhi Durbar (a ceremony that coronated the King and Queen of England as Emperor and Empress of India). It was presented to Queen Mary by the Maharani of Patiala on behalf of the Ladies of India (It was later remade as a chocker necklace).
Sapphire & Seven Strand Pearl Choker
The evening she stunned the world and gave us the ‘revenge dress’ moment, the princess sealed the moment with a Sri Lankan sapphire which by the looks of it seems more than 70cts set in a double row of diamonds and seven strand pearl choker necklace. The piece started life as a brooch which was gifted by Queen Mother on the occasion of her wedding to Prince Charles.
Amethyst & Diamond Cross Pendant
Another piece which caught attention in the past as well as the recent times is the ‘ Attallah Cross’ pendant which was originally created in the 1920s. Made with princess cut amethyst and diamonds, the necklace was lent by Garrard to the princess for a charity event in London in 1987. The necklace was only ever worn by Princess Diana and was not seen in public post her death, until Sotheby’s auction. The pendant saw the light of the day and created a buzz on the internet when Kim Kardashian wore it to the MET GALA 2023.
Swan Lake Suite
The piece Princess of Wales, Diana was seen wearing at her her last official engagement was a Diamond and South Sea Pearl necklace which was designed with inputs from Diana herself. The necklace features marquise and round diamonds along with 5 south sea pearls. Ironically this suite was never bought and thus, was later sold months after her death and has appeared at multiple auctions.
Well, Princess Diana’s jewels are much more than a bold fashion statement which she chose to make every time she walked out. It’s more than a collection of high value pieces that mark historic events and hold emotional value. Her jewels are a narrative of her life, her resilience and her impressions on the monarch.