How Queen Elizabeth’s glittering diamond earrings and pearl brooches are now favourites of Camilla and Kate

She owned more than 300 dazzling items of jewellery, comprising 98 brooches, 46 necklaces, 37 bracelets, 34 pairs of earrings, 20 tiaras, 15 rings, 14 watches and five pendants. 

And Queen Elizabeth was gracious with her collection, lending numerous pieces to younger royals over the years, including Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Kate has particularly favoured her earrings, often wearing styles such as the iconic Bahrain pearl drops and exquisite Greville chandelier set. 

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla has continued to showcase meaningful brooches since the late monarch’s passing. 

Courtauld Thomson scallop-shell brooch 

The Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell brooch features a single round pearl, surrounded by rows of dazzling diamonds. Above: The Queen wearing it in June 2010; Camilla with the brooch in Nairobi last year

There are a few iconic jewels that have entered the Royal Family collection by chance.

One example is the Courtauld Thomson scallop-shell brooch, which a loyal subject bequeathed to the Queen Mother.

Partially designed by Sir Courtauld Courtauld-Thomson, the son of a renowned Scottish inventor, the brooch was made in 1919 by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Co. Ltd.

It features a single round pearl, surrounded by rows of dazzling diamonds.

Courtauld-Thomson left the brooch to his sister, the writer Winifred Hope Thomson, who passed it down to the Queen Mother. She showcased the design on countless occasions, including her 100th birthday in August 2000. 

When she passed away two years later, the brooch was inherited by her daughter, Queen Elizabeth. 

She selected the accessory for a number of events, including the wedding of her eldest granddaughter, Zara Phillips, to Mike Tindall in 2011.

Last year, Queen Camilla wore the brooch for the first time, during an engagement with King Charles in Kenya. 

Pearl earrings

The late monarch loaned a pair of pearl earrings to Kate Middleton, which the Princess wore on the Queen’s 95th birthday. 

Elizabeth notably wore the design during her Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.

Kate repeated these pearl earrings while visiting St Davids in Wales on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

Sapphire and diamond earrings

In 1979, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured six countries in the Middle East.

During their trip, the royal couple were hosted by Sheikh Rashid, one of the founders of the UAE, in Dubai.

When the rulers exchanged gifts at a glamorous banquet, the Sheikh offered Queen Elizabeth a pair of solid gold camel ornaments and a demi-parure of diamond and sapphire jewellery.

Crafted in London by Asprey, the suite combined a striking necklace, earrings and ring. 

Elizabeth is said to have gasped upon receiving the set, placing her hand over her chest in awe.

The Queen loaned her sapphire and diamond loop stud earrings to Kate in 2021. They are part of a suite made by Asprey comprising a striking necklace, earrings and ring

However, the royal didn’t wear the jewels on many occasions. She eventually had the necklace shortened and the detached pieces were used to form a second pair of earrings. 

The Queen later had the original earrings and the ring’s sapphire cluster reimagined as a trio of stones on a bracelet.

However, it remained relatively unseen until the early 2000s, when she wore the set several times, including at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2002, an event coordinated to celebrate her Golden Jubilee.

Fast forward to 2021, Kate wore the earrings at an NHS event, held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Emerald tassel earrings

Queen Elizabeth offered the world its first glimpse of the emerald demi-parure in 1989.

Arriving for dinner at Claridge’s, she was spotted wearing the tassel necklace, paired with complementary jewels from the royal vaults. 

Since the dinner took place during a state visit of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it is thought that Elizabeth’s necklace had been a gift from the Sheikh.

The necklace formed part of a four-piece suite that also included a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a ring.

The Princess of Wales wore the earrings and bracelet for a dinner in 2022, hosted by Patrick Allen, the Governor General of Jamaica, at King’s House in Kingston.

The event was scheduled during a royal tour of the Caribbean, timed to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Queen Elizabeth offered the world its first glimpse of the emerald demi-parure in 1989. Kate recently wore the earrings and bracelet in 2022

Diamond orbital pendant earrings

Little is known about Queen Elizabeth’s diamond frame teardrop earrings.

The late monarch wore them on a handful of occasions.

The earrings incorporate a cluster stud with a floral motif, from which a pendant of four graduating diamonds is suspended.

Kate has developed a fondness for the design, wearing it for the first time at the 2016 Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Awards, held at Mansion House in London.

And the Princess has worn the earrings for a variety of events since, including Trooping the Colour in 2017, and the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in 2018.

Little is known about Queen Elizabeth’s diamond frame teardrop earrings. The late monarch wore them on a handful of occasions. Kate borrowed them for the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in 2018

Bahrain pearl drop earrings

When Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten in 1947, she was gifted a treasure trove of jewels.

Among these was a set of seven pearls, presented in a shell by the Hakim of Bahrain.

Two of these Bahraini pearls were later fashioned into a new pair of earrings.

The earrings feature round diamond studs, from which hang round and baguette-cut diamonds arranged in a style typical of the late 1940s.

In the early years of her marriage, Princess Elizabeth frequently wore the earrings for gala events and official portraits. 

But as her jewellery collection grew, the earrings were seen in public less often. 

In 1982, Queen Elizabeth lent them to Diana, Princess of Wales, who teamed them with the Lover’s Knot tiara for a banquet at Hampton Court Palace during a state visit from Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands.

In October 2012, the Queen loaned the earrings to Sophie, then the Countess of Wessex, who wore them for a performance by the Massed Bands and Bugles of The Rifles at the Royal Albert Hall.

However, since debuting the earrings on Remembrance Sunday in 2016, Kate has been the exclusive wearer of these earrings.

Greville ivy leaf clips 

As their name implies, the Greville ivy leaf clips were originally owned by Dame Margaret Greville, who commissioned them from Cartier. 

One of the diamond and platinum clips dates back to before 1930, while the second was crafted in 1937 to complete the matching set. 

Mrs Greville bequeathed the clips, along with a significant collection of jewellery, to Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) in 1942. 

Five years later, during the royal tour of South Africa in April 1947, the Queen gifted them to her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, as a twenty-first birthday present. 

Margaret Greville bequeathed the clips, along with a significant collection of jewellery, to Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) in 1942. One of the diamond and platinum clips dates back to before 1930, while the second was crafted in 1937 to complete the matching set

Queen Elizabeth frequently wore the brooches throughout her reign, particularly for autumn engagements in October. 

After her passing, the clips were inherited by King Charles and have since been worn on several occasions by Queen Consort Camilla. 

At the Service of Thanksgiving for King Constantine II of Greece in February, Camilla paired the Greville ivy leaf clips with pearl and diamond drop earrings, which had also belonged to Queen Elizabeth. 

Kensington bow brooch

The Kensington bow brooch was undoubtedly one of Queen Elizabeth’s favourite pieces. 

Crafted in 1893 by Collingwood, it was given to Princess May of Teck as a wedding present by the people of Kensington that same year. 

She frequently wore the diamond and pearl brooch, notably in her official coronation portrait.

Upon Queen Mary’s death in 1953, the brooch, along with the majority of her jewellery, was bequeathed to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. 

Elizabeth wore it on numerous occasions, both formal and casual.  

In the spring of 2002, she selected the brooch for the state funeral of her late mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and later for the 2017 Festival of Remembrance.

Elizabeth also wore the brooch ‘widowed’ – without the pearl drop – several times, including her 90th birthday celebrations in 2016.

Although Camilla and Kate have not yet worn the design, it is highly likely that they will do so in the future. 

Greville chandelier earrings 

Crafted by Cartier over several years, from 1918 to 1929, these diamond and platinum chandelier earrings were designed for Margaret Greville.

Originally created as a pair of drop earrings, they were extended in 1922 with the addition of 12 diamonds. 

The earrings were finalised in 1929 with ten further diamonds, including a trio of pair-shaped pendants, as well as diamonds in baguette, baton, emerald, half-moon, trapeze and square cuts. 

The Queen Mother inherited these earrings from Mrs Greville and gifted them to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth, on her wedding day.

Crafted by Cartier over several years, from 1918 to 1929, these diamond and platinum chandelier earrings were designed for Margaret Greville. The Queen Mother inherited these earrings from Mrs Greville and gifted them to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth, on her wedding day. Above: The Queen wearing them in Canada in 2010; Kate wearing them at the wedding of Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan in 2023

The earrings quickly became cherished gala jewels for the princess, especially after her ascension to the throne.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, first wore the Greville chandelier earrings publicly at the wedding of Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan, and Rajwa Al Saif in Jordan last year.

She showcased the glamorous earrings again at the diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace in December. 

Diamond and pearl oak leaf brooch 

Mystery also surrounds the origin of Queen Elizabeth’s diamond and pearl oak leaf brooch. 

The decorative piece features a trio of large pearls, placed at the centre of a pave-set yellow gold leaf. 

The Princess wore Queen Elizabeth’s oak leaf brooch at the monarch’s lying-in-state. The decorative piece features a trio of large pearls, placed at the centre of a pave-set yellow gold leaf. Above left: The Queen wearing the brooch on her 73rd birthday

The Queen made a notable appearance wearing this brooch on her 73rd birthday, attending a concert in Seoul, during a visit to South Korea.

It is thought that the piece may have been gifted to her at this time.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, first wore the brooch in Ypres, Belgium, in 2017, while visiting the Tyne Cot Cemetery, commemorating the centenary of Passchendaele.

She also selected the elegant design for the lying-in-state of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.