From ornate palaces and heart-stopping wedding ceremonies, to gorgeous gowns and lavish countryside retreats, the royal’s truly live fairytale lifestyles. Royal jewelry collections have long been the most spectacular in the world, containing historic gems whose eye-catching allure is exceeded only by their eye-popping price tags.
Marie Antoinette Necklace
Marie Antoinette is noted for her derisive, “Well, let them eat cake,” comment which ultimately led to her beheading. France’s former queen owned an expressive collection of lavish jewels, the most noteworthy of which was the “Marie Antoinette Necklace.” The stunning piece featured a 7.06-carat pear-shaped white diamond, two rare, oval shaped yellow diamonds with a combined 5.24 carat weight, and a pink diamond on the bottom. The stunning necklace is valued at $3.7 million.
Queen Mary’s Diamond Riviere
England’s first female ruler, Queen Mary, had one of the world’s most stunning jewelry collections. The Diamond Riviere — or river of diamonds, necklace is arguably the collection’s highlight. The dazzling piece features 34 graduated old-cut diamonds mounted on silver and gold. The Diamond Riviere was given to Queen Mary by her daughter, Princess Margaret, in 1900. The necklace was sold at auction in 2006 for $1,828,224, nearly three times its pre-auction estimate.
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Princess Margaret’s Poltimore Tiara
On May 6, 1990, the world watched the first televised royal wedding between Princess Margaret of England and photographer Antony-Armstrong Jones. The princess walked down the aisle wearing the Poltimore Tiara, which was originally created in 1870. The stunning crown contained dozens of old-cut diamonds set on scroll motifs. The tiara was a versatile piece that could be converted to a necklace or 11 individual diamond brooches. The Poltimore Tiara fetched $1.7 million at auction in 2006, more than double its pre-sale estimate.
Kate Middleton Engagement Ring
Though not as pricey as other royal jewelry pieces, Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is a historic gem. It originally belonged to Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana, who received the stunner as an engagement ring from Prince Charles. The ring features a large, oval sapphire center stone, surrounded by a halo of brilliant-cut round diamonds. The stunning piece is valued at $39,488.
