MEGHAN Markle is rocking more than £650,000 worth of jewellery from Princess Diana’s private collection, from her signature Cartier watch to the stunning Aquamarine ring she wore on her wedding day.
When Princess Diana passed away in 1997 her priceless jewels were left to Prince William and Prince Harry, who divided up the gems to give to their future wives.
While Kate Middleton has been wearing Princess Diana’s engagement ring since 2011, after Prince Harry proposed to Meghan we saw a number of her other pieces back in the public eye.
Stones from the late princess’ collection were used by Prince Harry, 36, to create Meghan’s engagement ring, but she also wears pieces straight out of Princess Diana’s jewellery box.
Aquamarine ring
One of the most iconic is the giant Aquamarine ring Meghan, 39, wore to her wedding reception in 2018, after she changed out of her Givenchy gown into a Stella McCartney number.
Alexandra Michell, gemologist at Prestige Pawnbrokers of Channel 4’s Posh Pawn, explained this dazzling piece was a “replacement engagement ring” following Princess Diana’s divorce from Prince Charles.
She told Fabulous Digital: “This stunning aquamarine ring first appeared on Princess Diana’s finger in the late nineties, when she commissioned Asprey’s to create it using a stone that had been gifted to her by her good friend, Lucia Flecha de Lima.
“Flanked by trapeze cut diamonds, a mixture of a yellow gold band, and a white gold mount, the emerald cut aquamarine is estimated at 30cts, and as with most high-quality aquamarines, it is clean and has strong and even colouration.”
She explained the late Princess chose the stone to match her “aquamarine and pearl five strand bracelet”, which was a gift from the royal family.
Alexandra continued: “Should this piece be presented at auction today, and with such an unconventional story behind it, I would think this piece would fetch over £100,000.”
Cartier watch
In recent weeks the mum to one-year-old Archie has been spotted wearing another one of Diana’s signature pieces, her Cartier watch.
Meghan and Prince Harry shared a black-and-white snap of themselves to promote the TIME100 Talks earlier this month, and fans were quick to spot the watch on the former actress’ wrist.
James Constantinou, founder of Prestige Pawnbrokers, said: “Diana’s Cartier small Tank Francaise in 18ct yellow gold, on matching bracelet, is a classic and timeless watch, as well as a functional piece of jewellery.
“Diana also owned a rounder Tank Louis, but stopped wearing it in the early 80s.”
The watch was a gift from Princess Diana’s father for her 21st birthday, and is thought to have been bought for £17,800 at the time
But James revealed its value has skyrocketed, as she said: “The connection to a well known admired public figure usually brings a premium in terms of values.
“There is currently much interest around Diana and this coupled with the downturn in usual commodities will bring savvy investors to the auction rooms, this will inevitably drive the price north.
“I would estimate the watch to fetch in excess of £500,000.”
Sapphire bangle
That’s not the only thing Meghan wears on her wrist from her mother-in-law’s collection, as she’s also been spotted wearing a gold bangle.
The mum-of-one accessorised a pair of dark tailored trousers and a white shirt when she stepped out for her first royal engagement after maternity leave last year, as she launched her capsule clothing collection.
James described the bracelet as a “striking flexible torque bangle of a spiral flat appearance in 18ct yellow gold, with a cabochon deep blue sapphire at each end rubover set to give a smooth finish”.
He added the piece is: “Smartly coupled each side with a row of pavé set small diamonds set in white gold.
“This comfortable piece of jewellery once owned by Diana, Princess of Wales, is estimated to be worth between £4,000 – £6,000.”
Butterfly stud earrings
Meghan also wore a pair of butterfly studded earrings to her clothing launch last year, and she stepped out in the same bracelet-and-earrings combo in Sydney while on her first royal tour Australia and New Zealand.
While the earrings may be small, they command a hefty price tag, with James estimating they’d fetch around £50,000.
He said: “The sweet butterfly yellow gold stud earrings, pave set with diamonds and sapphires belonged to a set which also included a necklace.
“Unfortunately, we don’t know where these were acquired from, but they made their first appearance in the mid-1980s, when Diana was touring Canada.
“Due to the royal connection these would likely sell in the region of £50,000, should they go to auction.”
James explained how the regal gems complement Meghan’s style, saying: “These pieces are styles that can be worn casually or in a more formal way, which suits Meghan well.
“Often seen in a more relaxed outfit, Meghan really knows how to showcase these everyday pieces.
“Worn with jeans and a shirt, the cartier watch still stands out as a star piece, and the butterfly earrings add a little subtle sparkle to lift a laid-back outfit.
“However, if she were to wear both of these with a simple black cocktail dress, she would be the definition of effortless and classic style, reminiscent of Diana.”
Following Princess Diana’s death Princes William and Harry were left three quarters of her £21 million estate – with the other quarter going to her 17 godchildren.
In a special “letter of wishes”, Diana explained that she was leaving her jewellery to her sons’ future wives.
The letter reads: “I would like you to allocate all my jewellery to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it.
“I leave the exact division of the jewellery to your discretion.”
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