Rings, earrings, watches: what jewelry Kate Middleton received as a gift from Prince William. Royal Treasures: A Short Guide to Kate Middleton's Rings Jewelry Like Kate Middleton
For a long time, a wonderful and romantic tradition has appeared: in order to ask for the hand and heart of a woman, a man must get down on one knee and present a box with an engagement ring. And the girl who agreed had to wear it "until death do them part." But these days, this tradition has become just another way for couples to compete in abundance and fantasy, especially among stars who have enough money to buy any or almost any piece of jewelry.
Huge diamonds and a scattering of sapphires - Bright Side invites you to admire the most famous and loved by many engagement rings.
Jennifer Aniston
This actress became famous due to the fact that she played the role of Rachel in the television series Friends so beloved by us. She once appeared in public with a huge 8-carat diamond ring shining against a gold setting. Product designer - Jennifer Meyer - received 500 thousand dollars, but this is more than the cost of some houses!
beyoncé
The 18-carat stone ended up on Queen B's finger after she agreed to marry Jay Z in 2007. Jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz completed an order for $5 million! Well, how can you refuse?
Emily Blunt
The fiancé of this sophisticated English actress, John Krasinski, presented a ring valued at about $100,000 during the engagement. The jewelry is made of platinum and complemented with a 3-carat diamond. A little more modest than the previous ones, but no less amazing.
Jacqueline Kennedy
In 1953, the engagement of John and Jacqueline Kennedy took place. The million dollar diamond and 2 carat emerald engagement ring has gone down in history as one of the most unique. Designed by Van Cleef & Arpels.
Kate Middleton
This is probably the most famous engagement ring in the world. It used to belong to Princess Diana, and now adorns the hand of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate. Large 18 carat sapphire framed with many diamonds and white gold. The jewelry is now valued at $500,000.
Marilyn Monroe
Despite the fact that the marriage of Marilyn and Joe DiJo did not last long, the engagement ring presented by the basketball player went down in history as one of the most expensive. The cost of such jewelry was 772 and a half thousand dollars. The product consists of two platinum bases supporting 35 diamonds on both sides. Such shape and design are popular and in demand among wealthy fashionistas in our time.
Probably every girl dreams of becoming the owner of one of these rings. And we believe that the most important thing is not the decoration or its cost, but the power of love, which is measured not at all in dollars and carats.
In February 1981, Prince Charles made an unusual gift to his new bride. No, they didn’t guess, it’s not about that very cherished ring with a languid blue sapphire. Prince Charles really wanted to impress the modest girl, who at that time was not spoiled by offerings. He invited to Windsor Castle, where at that moment Diana was visiting at the invitation of Her Majesty, the jewelers of the famous House of Garrard, and asked them to bring with them all the best examples of rings that were in their collection.
After dinner with the Queen, Charles invited Diana into the living room, where a difficult choice awaited the 19-year-old girl. More than a dozen of the most beautiful rings, each of which was worthy of the role of the engagement jewelry of the bride of the future king. But Diana chose without hesitation an 18 carat gold ring with 14 diamonds set around a large oval Ceylon sapphire.
“By the way, it was not the most expensive and not the biggest ring!” Lady Dee later recalled.
Sapphire was her favorite stone. She generally adored shades of blue (which was reflected even in her makeup - the same blue arrows around her eyes). For the first time she received a sapphire ring almost a year before the engagement and literally fell in love with this stone. The gift was also from Charles. The prince liked to throw dust in the eyes of a young girl. And how can you not be impressed when you are 19, and all your wealth is a simple gold chain with a pendant in the form of the letter D and a pair of gold earrings. Diana was the youngest daughter of Earl Spencer, a respected man, but overspent (not without the help of his second wife, Diana's stepmother), which meant that the girl did not have to grab diamonds from heaven.
According to Diana, before the engagement, she had “one long dress, one silk shirt and one pair of chic shoes in her closet, that’s all.” After the engagement, she and her mother had to urgently seek funds to buy new clothes so that the girl could match her new status. Six new dresses, six new pairs of shoes - an unprecedented extravagance. So, Charles's jewelry gifts, with which he began to pamper his future wife, were more than welcome.
In 1981, even Charles himself believed that he would be able to fall in love with the girl he was chosen (no illusions - this choice was not made by the prince himself, but he accepted it). Gifts are what he loved and knew how to do best. And, of course, the engagement ring was one of his most generous offerings to Diana. Its cost at that time was 28 thousand English pounds. Today (taking into account inflation and other things) it is over 110 thousand.
Diana's unconditional favorite passed both through copper pipes and through the fire of her explosive temperament. According to the recollections of the former personal secretary of Prince Charles, Michael Colborne, Diana once launched an engagement ring at her husband during a quarrel (this was in the same 1981, in the fall). And it was hardly an isolated incident during their long and unhappy marriage.
Diana broke up with her engagement ring in September 1996. Even later than the official divorce from Charles (the decree announcing the marriage between the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana is dated August 28, 1996). Until the last, she did not want to take it off - it reminded her of a happy time of hope. The last time Lady Dee appeared in public with a sapphire jewelry was at Eton, at the college where her sons, William and Harry, studied. It was September 5th. Charles was there too. A few days later, the ring disappeared from Diana's hand. Under the terms of the dissolution of the marriage, Diana had to return the engagement ring and a number of jewelry to the Royal House. Not such a big sacrifice: “20 million pounds is not bad for a former nanny,” Diana joked, talking about the settlement received during the divorce (not counting other privileges left to her as the mother of crown princes). True, as it turned out, the sapphire ring did not have time to reach the royal treasury.
A remarkable fact: if Prince Harry had married before his older brother, then the story of the sapphire ring would have had a completely different continuation (and, perhaps, not so loud).
When William and Harry arrived at Kensington Palace after Diana's death, they were allowed to take something in memory of their mother from her jewelry collection. Prince William chose the gold watch his father gave his then fiancee Diana Spencer for her 20th birthday. And 12-year-old (at that time) Harry took the same engagement ring. When, after 9 years of relationship with Kate, William nevertheless decided to propose to her, the younger brother gave the older mother's ring (and, perhaps, this gesture became decisive). “So my mother was able to be with me at this important moment for me,” William later admitted. And for us, this is also an example of an incredibly touching friendship between two brothers.
In official photos taken on the occasion of the engagement of the young Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton, the sapphire "Princess Diana's ring" was almost the third protagonist of the event. Since then, Kate has not removed it from her finger (and is unlikely to throw it at William - let's hope), and millions of girls around the world are eager to receive a copy of such a ring as a wedding gift. By the way, the excitement was so great that in the UK, for example, at the beginning of 2016, at the request of Kensington Palace, a ban was imposed on replicas of the engagement ring, which now belonged to the Duchess of Cambridge. It's hard to blame Kate for wanting to be the sole owner of Diana's ring.
Our selection contains the most beautiful and most beloved jewelry of Kate Middleton: dazzling tiaras, luxurious necklaces, elegant rings and one secret piece of jewelry that the Duchess carefully hides from prying eyes.
In the personal jewelry collection of Kate Middleton, there was a place for both expensive exclusive jewelry and very modest items.
Engagement ring with sapphire
Kate's famous engagement ring was formerly owned by Princess Diana. When Lady Dee was still the bride of Charles, he invited her to choose any ring from the catalog of Garrar, a jewelry company that made jewelry for the royal family, as a gift. The 19-year-old bride did not hesitate to opt for an 18-carat gold jewelry with a huge Ceylon sapphire and a scattering of small diamonds. This ring, by the way, is not the most expensive and not the largest, at that time it cost 28,000 pounds.
In October 2010, Prince William and his sweetheart Kate went on a romantic trip to Kenya. It was here, against the backdrop of beautiful scenery, that the prince proposed to Kate and gave her his mother's ring. Since then, she has practically never parted with jewelry.
Welsh gold wedding ring
The wedding rings of all women belonging to the royal family are made exclusively from Welsh gold. This noble metal is three times more expensive than gold, which is mined in Africa and Australia.
Kate's ring was made from a bullion given by the Queen to Prince William after his engagement. The Duchess never takes off her jewelry and wears it on one finger with her engagement ring.
Earrings with sapphires
Earrings also passed Kate from Diana. The Duchess received them as a gift from her husband some time after the wedding. Kate wears them quite often because they form a single ensemble with her ring.
Tanzanite and diamond set
Heart-shaped earrings and a matching pendant pair perfectly with the engagement ring. Presumably, the headset was presented to the Duchess by Prince William.
Queen Elizabeth necklace
This chic necklace with 13 emeralds and 38 diamonds once belonged to Elizabeth, she received it as a wedding gift from the King of India, and 64 years later the queen "re-gifted" the jewelry to Kate Middleton on the occasion of her wedding to William. The necklace is sky-high and designed for special occasions, so Kate rarely appears in it, although if you unfasten the two lower pendants from the jewelry, it takes on a more modest look.
diamond tiara
The tiara, adorned with 888 diamonds, was given to Queen Elizabeth on her 18th birthday by her mother. Also, this royal jewelry was worn by Elizabeth's sister Margaret, and in 2011, the jewel crowned the head of Kate Middleton during her wedding to William.
Tiara Cambridge Lover's Knot
This is Princess Diana's favorite tiara. She received it as a wedding gift from her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth. After Diana's divorce from Charles, the tiara remained in the royal family. Now it belongs to Kate, who sometimes wears it to special occasions.
Brooch by Cartier
The gold brooch, made in the form of a trefoil and decorated with an emerald, previously belonged to the Queen Mother. Kate wears it once a year, on St. Patrick's Day, and this is no coincidence: St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and the shamrock clover is its symbol.
Lauren Earrings by Kiki McDonough
Kate loves Kiki McDonough, her personal collection contains at least 15 pairs of earrings from this brand. Most often, the Duchess prefers heart-shaped diamond earrings, which she combines with both strict coats and sportswear. At our rate, they cost about 180,000 rubles.
167 Button Diamond Pendant by Asprey
This white gold pendant is adorned with a violet amethyst framed with small diamonds. Kate loves to pair it with light dresses and colorful hats. This luxurious decoration costs about 4 thousand dollars.
Necklace by Zara
Kate Middleton does not shy away from wearing inexpensive jewelry: for example, at the premiere of the film about Nelson Manedel, she appeared in a long cream dress and a necklace from the Zara brand, which costs only about 1,500 rubles.
Earrings Links of London
These cute earrings were bought by the Duchess for just 130 pounds (about 10,270 rubles), but Kate was not afraid to combine them with an expensive Jenny Packham dress, estimated at 800 thousand rubles.
Bracelet by Tiffany
Kate is a fan of the famous brand, especially she loves the $725 diamond bracelet.
Annoushka Favorites pearl earrings
Silver droplets-pearls from Annoushka, despite their modesty, have become the favorite earrings of the Duchess of Cambridge. She often pairs them with casual wear.
Favorite secret jewelry - chain with four pendants from Merci Maman
This is Kate's favorite piece of jewelry, which she hides from prying eyes and never shows to the press. The Duchess received it as a gift from her sister Pippa when she gave birth to her eldest son George. Then there were two pendants on the chain: a figurine of a boy and a heart with the initials of Prince William. After the birth of Princess Charlotte, Kate added two more pendants to the decoration: a figurine of a girl and a disk with the names of children.
Brooch in the shape of a maple leaf
Kate especially likes to wear this diamond brooch during her meetings with the Canadian Prime Minister. The decoration is a family jewel; in 1939, King George VI presented it to his wife in honor of his visit to Canada.
One of the perks of being a prince's wife is access to the royal archive of priceless jewelry. On her wedding day with William, Kate Middleton wore a Cartier tiara from the collection of Elizabeth II, who also gave the Duchess of Cambridge her favorite Princess Diana's tiara, pearl earrings and her diamond bracelet.
But Kate's most recognizable and iconic piece of jewelry is the sapphire engagement ring that belonged to Princess Diana. Prince William presented his beloved with an 18 carat gold piece set with 14 diamonds set around a 12 carat sapphire. “Thus, my mother was able to be with me on this important day,” the heir to the throne said on the day of the engagement.
There are a few other favorite rings in Kate's collection that Grazia invites you to get to know better.
Citrine ring.
The jewelry was first seen on the hand of the Duchess in May at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. It can be assumed that this is a gift from the spouse in honor of the birth of their third child, Prince Louis. But given the fact that Kate loves to melt down old jewelry, we can’t rule out the fact that she did it with this ring.
rose gold ring
Prince William gave Kate this ring while studying at the University of St. Andrews, where their romance began. By the way, this is the first decoration that the Duchess received from her husband. In addition, it is encrusted with pearls (William's family stone) and garnet (the stone of the Middleton family).
Wedding ring
The decoration is made in accordance with the royal tradition of Welsh yellow gold, the deposits of which belong to the royal family.
Platinum ring
As it has already been noted, Kate Middleton wears three rings on her ring finger: sapphire, engagement and platinum. The latter is made of 18 carat white gold and was rumored to have been a gift from Prince William in honor of the birth of their first child, Prince George.
She spent $214,400 on outfits, which is almost 13 million rubles. This amount was announced by the British online tabloid Daily Mail. But no one considered how much the “English rose” spent on jewelry, because Kate can safely save on this expense item: she has at her disposal diamonds from several generations of British monarchs. What famous jewels "with history" does Duchess Katherine wear?
Tiara Halo by Cartier
The tiara, made of platinum and almost 900 diamonds, was made in 1936. The Duke of York gave it to his wife Elizabeth three weeks before he ascended the throne and became King George VI. Their daughter, Princess Elizabeth (now the reigning Queen of Great Britain), received this tiara in 1944 for her 18th birthday. For some reason, she did not like the gift, and she never wore jewelry to official celebrations. But without fail, she lent the tiara to her younger sister, Princess Margaret, and her daughter, Princess Anne, for going out. The vintage jewel took center stage on the wedding day of Kate Middleton and Prince William in 2011.
Brooch in the form of a fern leaf
Christmas 1953, Elizabeth II met in New Zealand - that was her first official visit to this country in the status of Queen of Great Britain. In Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, women's rights activists presented the honored guest with a brooch in the form of a national symbol - a fern leaf. Jewelry made of platinum and diamonds, Elizabeth wore quite often, and in April 2014 she entrusted Duchess Katherine. Kate, along with her husband and young son, Prince George, then paid an official visit to New Zealand for the first time.
Garrard sapphire engagement ring
In February 1981, Prince Charles and Diana Spencer announced their engagement. Her symbol was a white gold ring chosen by Diana with a 12-carat oval-cut Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 small diamonds. Secular gossips sneered behind the back of the bride: they say, what to expect from a simpleton! Not only is the jewelry inexpensive (it cost £28,500, but is now valued at £300,000, or $500,000), it is not made to order, but is part of the jewelry collection presented in every Garrard boutique. Lady Dee herself later said that the jewel fascinated her with its beauty and resemblance to her mother's engagement ring.
After the death of Diana, Prince Harry inherited the family treasure, and William got her gold Cartier watch as a memory of her mother. When the seriousness of the elder brother's intentions regarding Kate Middleton became obvious, the princes exchanged rarities. In the fall of 2010, during a trip to Kenya, William proposed, Kate said yes, and the famous sapphire appeared on her ring finger. The bride's ring turned out to be too big, and at her request, the court jewelers attached two small platinum balls inside the jewelry, thereby reducing its size.
Maple leaf brooch by Asprey & Co.
This platinum and diamond maple leaf brooch was a gift from King George VI to his wife, Elizabeth the Queen Mother. In 1939, the couple of monarchs went on their first official visit to Canada, and the people of the country really liked that the guest of honor wears a jewel with their national symbol. Since then, wearing a brooch during visits to Canada has become a good tradition for all representatives of the British royal house. The now reigning Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, first tried on the brooch when she visited the Maple Leaf Country in 1951, then wore it repeatedly, as did Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, second wife of Prince Charles. In 2011, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, became the "mistress" of the jewel, having gone with her husband on her first tour of North America. During her second visit to Canada in the fall of 2016, Kate also wore this brooch.
The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace by Cartier
Asaf Jah VII, the last nizam (ruler) of the Indian principality of Hyderabad, gave Princess Elizabeth, the current queen, a gift of unprecedented generosity on the eve of her marriage to Prince Philip in 1947. He suggested picking any Cartier jewelry, and Cartier couldn't resist a floral design set of diamonds and platinum, a necklace and tiara that was detachable and could be worn as brooches. In her younger years, Elizabeth II often wore these jewelry, posed in them for one of the official portraits. In 1973, she wanted to remake the tiara ... into another tiara, adding rubies, but she left the removable parts of the first jewelry with brooches. In February 2014, Duchess Catherine shone in The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace at a gala reception at London's National Portrait Gallery, of which she is a trustee.
Tiara The Cambridge Lover's Knot by Garrard
The Garrard jewelers worked on a commission from Queen Mary, the grandmother of the current British monarch, in 1913-1914. The tiara, which I would like to call a crown, consists of 19 arches, encrusted with diamonds and large pearls. In 1953, Elizabeth II inherited the jewel and wore it willingly for almost ten years. In 1981, the Queen gave the tiara to Lady Diana with the wish that she wear the piece on her wedding day. Diana politely refused: pearls and diamonds seemed too pretentious and heavy for her to spend many hours in public, but she later wore the tiara more than once, including during a trip to New Zealand in 1983.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, appeared in the famous piece of jewelry twice: in December 2015 at a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace and in December last year, also at Buckingham Palace, posing for a royal family portrait.
Drop earrings with pearls
Elizabeth II first wore elegant earrings with diamond studs and pearl drop-shaped pendants in 1977 to celebrate her silver jubilee - the 25th anniversary of her own stay on the throne. In 2012, they were rented by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wife of Prince Edward, the youngest son of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Duchess Catherine became the "hostess" of the precious pair in 2016: in September she wore them during her second tour to Canada, in October - for the first time visiting the Netherlands, in November - for a memorial evening in the royal family, and in December - for a Christmas service in Bucklebury . Most of all, the public remembered the image of Kate in these earrings during the days of her solo tour in the Netherlands. Catherine was called nothing more than a girl with a pearl earring, especially since the duchess did not fail to visit the Mauritshuis Museum, which exhibits the famous painting by Jan Vermeer.
