Kate Middleton has £250,000 ‘antique’ diamond earrings from the Queen

Kate Middleton, 39, joined the Royal Family in 2011 when she married Prince William. Since then, her jewellery collection has grown in size and she now has an impressive array of jewels. One pair of her earrings could be worth as much as £250,000.

As well as the Duchess having her own jewellery, she also has access to the Queen’s, and will often be seen wearing jewels from the monarch’s collection.

The Queen will often loan other Royal Family members pieces of jewellery too.

For Kate’s most recent in-person appearance back in December, she opted for a pair of luxurious diamond drop earrings.

Managing Director Nick Withington, or pre-owned vintage jewellery William May provided an insight into the stunning earrings.

He said: “Kate is wearing an antique pair of diamond earrings featuring a round flower cluster of diamonds dropping down to a floral leaf design also in diamonds.

“The diamonds appear to be an old European cut typical of antique jewellery of this kind and with so many diamonds featured, there could be as much as 5.00ct of diamonds in total.”

In fact, it seems as though these jewels actually belong to the Queen and therefore could have been on loan to Kate for the occasion.

The Duchess is rarely seen wearing them and debuted them to a special state reception at Buckingham Palace in December 2016.

She also wore them for a NATO reception at Buckingham Palace in 2019.

The Queen is also thought to have first worn the diamond earrings at the State Opening of Parliament in 2012.

The carat weight means that the earrings have a huge price tag attached to them.

Nick added: “In terms of value, we have an impressive array of diamonds and with an expected rich antique history, Kate is wearing upward of £250,000 in her ears.”

While Kate has borrowed many pieces from the Queen’s collection, her own one includes an impressive ruby ring that she has worn over the years.

It is also thought to have a huge price tag. Roseanna Croft, the founder of Roseanna Croft Jewellery, explained: “The Duchess of Cambridge’s ruby ring I estimate to be worth in the region of £35,000 and is a stunning piece of timeless yet ‘on trend’ jewellery – a step away from the traditional jewels worn by the Royal Family.

“The setting is elegant and really helps the stone to stand proud in the ring with a simple diamond set band accentuating the ruby even more.”

Chocolate Diamond Engagement Rings: The Complete Guide

Chocolate Diamond engagement rings sound like a dreamy mix of two of the finer things in life—chocolate and diamonds, obviously. And they kind of are: Chocolate Diamonds got their name because the brown color of the stone resembles everyone’s favorite sweet treat. Not only are these fancy colored diamonds beautiful to look at, but they also make for a unique and interesting take on a classic engagement ring.

What Is a Chocolate Diamond?

A Chocolate Diamond is a high-quality, fancy colored brown diamond that gets its shade from heat and pressure applied to the precious stone during its formation process. Chocolate Diamonds are unique to fine jewelry brand who introduced the stone and trademarked the name in 2000.

While they might look similar, Chocolate Diamonds are not the same exact thing as brown diamonds. Chocolate Diamond apart from a regular brown diamond is its quality, rarity, and the strength of color. Brown diamonds must have a certain hue, tone, and saturation to quality to become a Chocolate Diamond, and their inclusions cannot be visible to the naked eye.”

Ahead, learn about the history of Chocolate Diamonds, care advice, and more from the jeweler who trademarked the gem.

History of Chocolate Diamonds

It’s easy to assume that Chocolate Diamonds got their name because of their color, but Le Vian tells Brides that’s not the whole story. “In reality, the name was actually inspired by my good friend Bill Furman, who used to come and visit me every day after work and bring with him a batch of artisanal, homemade chocolates,” he says. “Frequently he would talk about the special powers of chocolate, about its health benefits, and about how it is an aphrodisiac.”

The passion Furman had for his chocolate business left Le Vian inspired. “Bill helped me to realize that the passion that chocoholics had for chocolate was similar to the way I felt about these rich, pretty-enough-to-eat, brown precious stones,” he says. And the name was born!

Chocolate Diamonds vs. White Diamonds

Chocolate Diamonds are high-quality brown diamonds. Natural color diamonds, like white diamonds, are the strongest gems in the world, very durable, and ideal for everyday wear. Still, there are some differences. Chocolate Diamonds (and any brown diamond) are more opaque than white diamonds so they aren’t always as shiny.

Chocolate Diamonds are rarer than white diamonds, according to the GIA.

They’re also obviously different aesthetically. “I think a quality that makes Chocolate Diamonds appeal more than regular white diamonds to some women is that they can be really elegantly understated,” Le Vian offers. “Traditional white diamonds, while stunning, can often be a bit too ostentatious and flashy for everyday wear. That’s why lots of sophisticated women are turning to Chocolate Diamonds. ‘Dressing down’ is so chic right now and the range’s earthy, golden tones make its diamonds much more suitable to be worn with every outfit and occasion.”

Pros and Cons of Chocolate Diamonds

One of the biggest pros of a Chocolate Diamond is the look: it’s different and unexpected, so it pretty much automatically stands out. If you’re not into a classic white diamond, this one is basically aesthetically the opposite, which is an advantage for someone looking for that.

While rarer than white diamonds, Chocolate Diamonds are also generally lower in price. “The price value of chocolate diamonds has dramatically increased since we trademarked the range,” Le Vian says. “The price of larger brown diamonds has risen by as much as 25 times since the ‘80s and ‘90s.” How Much to Spend on an Engagement Ring: Your Official Budget Guide

Chocolate Diamonds are also more versatile than you would imagine and look beautiful with different metals and other colored stones.

What to Look for in a Chocolate Diamond Engagement Ring

Want a Chocolate Diamond engagement ring on your own finger?

• Where can I buy a Chocolate Diamond? Chocolate Diamonds specifically are an exclusive Le Vian item—that means that you won’t find them made by other jewelry brands, and they aren’t going to be available everywhere. Look for stores or companies that sell Le Vian Chocolate Diamonds to find the one you want.

• Do Chocolate Diamonds come in different shades? Chocolate Diamonds come in a few different shades ranging from a lighter brown, almost golden hue, to something darker and richer. You can look at different ring options to find the one you like the most.

• Are brown diamonds exclusive to Le Vian? While Chocolate Diamonds are a type of brown diamond, brown diamonds are not exclusive to Le Vian and can be found at most jewelers.

How to Care for Your Chocolate Diamond

Like any other diamond, your Chocolate Diamond will be durable and suitable for everyday wear. You should clean it weekly using alcohol unless the ring also includes soft gems. Even though diamonds are very strong, you might not want to wear your Chocolate Diamond engagement ring while doing rough work with your hands.

Meghan Markle has changed her engagement ring

The Duchess of Sussex was presented with a beautiful gold trilogy engagement ring when Prince Harry proposed in November 2017, but just over 18 months later Meghan revealed a significant change to the ring, having replaced the yellow gold band with a delicate diamond-studded band.

It is unknown whether Meghan is currently wearing the special ring in LA as she was spotted without it during her previous pregnancy with Archie, likely due to swelling in her fingers.

However, it has now emerged that it was Prince Harry’s decision to upgrade the band, and the work was carried out at the same time that he ordered a bespoke eternity ring for his wife as a gift for their first wedding anniversary.

In the new royal biography, Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand explain: “On May 19, 2019, Harry also surprised his wife of one year with the gift of a ring that he had created with jeweller-to-the-stars Lorraine Schwartz, a favourite of Meghan’s.

“The conflict-free diamond eternity band paid homage to the family of three with Meghan’s, Archie’s and Harry’s birthstones (peridot, emerald, and sapphire, respectively) on the underside of the ring.”

The jeweller told the authors that Harry wanted to make the eternity ring “special”. She added: “‘He’s the loveliest person ever. So romantic, so thoughtful.’ (So much so that Harry also thought to have Lorraine resize and reset Meghan’s engagement ring with a new diamond band.)”

Eagle-eyed fans first noticed the changes to Meghan’s engagement ring at her post-baby appearance at Trooping the Colour in 2019. The original band was made of gold and the ring was created by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty the Queen.

The trilogy ring boasts a large central diamond flanked on either side by two smaller jewels. The stones were specially selected by the Prince; the central diamond is from Botswana, where the couple previously vacationed together, and the other two diamonds are from his late mother’s personal collection.

“The ring is obviously yellow gold because that’s [Meghan’s] favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewellery collection, to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together,” Harry said during the couple’s first sit-down interview with the BBC, hours after they announced their engagement.