Princess Diana’s Most Iconic Jewelry Pieces

Princess Diana, one of the most adored members of the British royal family, remembered as the “People’s Princess” remains until today one of the foremost style icons of the world. Being the boundary pusher, strong-willed young woman she was, Lady Diana knew what she loved and was set apart by her ability to communicate with her clothing and jewelry. And though she has been considered one of the best dressed women in history, Princess Diana’s jewelry collection is where she really shined.

The Spencer Family Tiara

Princess Diana wore this tiara that was crafted by Garrard, the appointed Crown Jeweler, on her wedding day in 1981. The gold-mounted tiara boasts stylized flowers and scrolls that are made of silver-set diamonds. The stunning tiara belonged to the Spencer family, and though the princess did not own it and it was also worn by her two sisters, Lady Sarah, and Lady Jane on their own wedding days, it became widely associated with her. Princess Diana wore the tiara on several occasions after her wedding day; it travelled all over the world with her. Now the tiara belongs to her brother, Charles Spencer, and it had not been seen publicly since Diana’s death until 2018, when her niece, Celie McCorquodale, wore it on her wedding day.

The Queen Mother's Sapphire Brooch

The beautiful diamond and sapphire brooch originally belonged to Queen Mary and was eventually gifted to Diana on her wedding by the Queen Mother.  Diana was not fond of wearing brooches in the traditional way, and so converted it into a necklace with a seven-strand pearl choker. It became one of her statement jewelry pieces, and was seen on her on many notable occasions like the President Reagan’s White House Gala in 1985 where she danced with John Travolta and on the night Prince Charles announced his affair, where she famously paired the necklace with the revenge dress.

The Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Ring

Sapphires and pearls were Diana’s signature gems, and her iconic engagement ring fell into a long trend of royals choosing sapphires or other colored stones for their engagement rings.  The ring, also made by Garrard, features a 12-carat blue Ceylon surrounded by 25 brilliant cushion-cut diamonds, all set in 18-carat white gold. The younger generation may associate this ring to Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, as it now sits on her finger, however it originally belonged to Princess Diana.

The Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara

Designed for Queen Mary in 1913, by Garrard, this magnificent piece was another wedding gift to Diana by Queen Elizabeth. Diana always managed to take a fresh and youthful approach to style seemingly antiquated royal jewels passed down to her, and instead gave them a modern touch. Though the Lover’s Knot Tiara was one of her most beautiful pieces, she wore it only a few times as she complained that it often gave her a headache because of how heavy it was. Now, it is often seen on the Duchess of Cambridge and she wears it more than any other, suggesting that it is her favorite.

The Saudi Sapphire-and-Diamond Jewelry Suite

This stunning diamond-and-sapphire necklace gifted to Diana by the Prince of Saudi Arabia, was later redesigned as a headband. Diana wore it during a visit to Tokyo in 1986. This set also included matching earrings and together they perfectly complemented her engagement ring.

The 11-Strand Pearl Choker

Princess Diana was clearly a fan of pearls, and had many pearl chokers, but this 11-strand pearl choker is one of her most desirable pieces of pearl jewelry. This statement pearly piece is composed of 900 pearls, featuring columns of diamonds and rubies. This was her favorite piece to wear to film premieres and nights at the theater.

The Asprey Aquamarine Ring

This glorious aquamarine ring in a way represented Diana’s independence as she added it to her collection following her divorce announcement. This 30 carat emerald-cut aquamarine ring was crafted by Asprey, so that she would have something to wear on her ring finger after the divorce. The ring was passed on to Prince Harry and today sits on the finger of Megan Markle, where is was first seen in their wedding reception at Frogmore House.

The Crescent Set

This stylish suite was gifted to Diana by the Sultan of Oman during a royal tour in the Gulf 1986. The stunning set embraces a pair of crescent-shaped diamond and sapphire earring with a matching necklace and bracelet. Here, Diana wears the set with the famous Spencer Tiara to a Banquet in Germany in 1987.

The ‘Swan Lake’ Diamond And Pearl Necklace

Princess Diana wore this diamond and pearl necklace with her pale blue dress to a performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in London on June 3, 1997. Later on, this iconic piece, crafted of almost 51 carats of diamond and 5 matching South Sea pearls, is referred to as the ‘Swan Lake’ diamond and pearl necklace. It was on this single occasion that she was seen wearing this necklace, as this event was one of her final public appearances.