Queen Elizabeth II's Life in Jewellery

Posted on: 20/09/2022

With the tragic passing of our beloved Queen Elizabeth II, many of us are celebrating her successful life of dedication, charm and loyalty. Her love of the colour purple, her classy hats and her wonderful fashion taste has all been a subject of admiration throughout her long life.  But one thing that we have kept an eye on is her stunning jewellery collection - it really is fit for a Queen like Elizabeth II.

Here are some of the jewellery pieces that Queen Elizabeth II loved and worn throughout her life.

The Queen's Engagement Ring

We thought we’d start with a true staple - the Queen’s engagement ring. We know more than anyone how significant an engagement ring is in someone’s life, and our gracious Queen's was no exception. Prince Philip proposed to Princess Elizabeth in 1947 when she was around 21. He presented her with a breath-taking 3ct diamond solitaire engagement ring, with 5 diamonds on either side of the big stone.

The Lover's Knot Brooch

The Queen was rarely ever seen without a brooch, and perhaps her most special one was the Lover’s Knot brooch which has true history. Most of the Queen’s brooches dated back to before she was born, and the Lover’s Knot is extra-special because she inherited it from her grandmother Queen Mary. Her Majesty wore this brooch to many royal engagements, including the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. In a bow shape, the brooch is said to be set in silver and contains numerous tiny diamonds.

The Imperial State Crown

It would be impossible not to mention the Imperial State Crown, part of the Crown Jewels. One of the nation's most precious treasures, the Imperial State Crown is protected at the Tower of London. The Queen wore this after her coronation and at a number of State occasions throughout her reign. The crown is made of gold and set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies!

The Three Strand Pearl Necklace and Button Earrings

It could be argued that this was the Queen’s most worn jewellery look, as she was often seen wearing her three strand pearl necklace together with a pair of button earrings. It’s clear that Her Majesty loved pearls, as she wore them to the majority of her daytime engagements. The button pearl earrings were inherited to her after the late Queen Mary passed away, and the three strand pearl necklace was gifted to her by King George V, the Queen’s grandmother.

The Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet

When Prince Philip proposed to the Queen in 1946 he didn’t just gift her an engagement ring, but an Art Deco inspired diamond bracelet too. Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, owned a stunning diamond and aquamarine tiara. It was the diamonds in this tiara that were eventually set into the Queen’s wedding bracelet. The bracelet is geometric in design, featuring three large white brilliant cut diamonds with three square links connected by vertical sections and set in platinum. It is clear that the Queen adored this bracelet, as she was seen wearing it to many special occasions throughout her life including her and Philip’s 25th wedding anniversary portrait in 1972 and her Diamond Jubilee portrait in 2012.

The Golden Jubilee Necklace

One of the Queen’s most favourite pieces of jewellery was said to be Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee necklace. The necklace was gifted to Queen Victoria for her Golden Jubilee in June of 1887 by a committee of aristocratic women called “the Women’s Jubilee Offering.” The necklace is described as having “eight graduated brilliant-set trefoil links, 12 smaller links and a snap, each centred by a graduated pearl, the crowned quatrefoil centre with pearl drop; the centre and six flanking links detachable for use as brooches or pins … the necklace reduced by two small links at a later date.” The necklace didn’t seem to have been a favourite of the next Queens up until Queen Elizabeth II inherited it in 1952, she wore it frequently since then.

There are so many beautiful jewellery pieces in our late Queen’s collection that is was very hard for us to find her favourites! Queen Elizabeth II was obviously a great lover of beautiful jewellery, just like us!