Queen Elizabeth’s Most Iconic Jewelry and Tiaras

The Queen’s diamond and pearl looped tiara, worn here on May 22, 1978, is known as the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara. The tiara was purchased in 1921 by Queen Mary, who bought it from the daughter of the Grand Duchess Vladimir. It was eventually passed down to Mary’s granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth, and the tiara became one of her favorites.

On January 1, 1967, the Queen wore the Imperial State Crown along with the diamond necklace she had worn for her coronation. The crown was made for the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and is set with 2868 diamonds in silver mounts, largely table-, rose- and brilliant-cut, and colored stones in gold mounts, including 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls.

In 1973, the Queen commissioned the Burmese Ruby Tiara from Garrard. The tiara is set with 96 rubies that were given to the Queen by the people of Burma as a wedding present. Here, she’s wearing the tiara at a royal gala in May 30, 1977.

This four-strand pearl choker with diamond pendant was commissioned for the Queen by the Japanese government in the early 1980s. She’s seen wearing it here on November 16, 1983. In recent years, Kate Middleton has worn the necklace.

Queen Elizabeth’s striking amethyst set, which includes a diamond brooch, necklace and earrings, is known as the Crown Amethyst Suite of Jewels or the The Kent Amethysts. The set originally belonged to Queen Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent. Elizabeth is seen wearing it here on March 26, 1985.

The Queen’s emerald necklace and matching earrings, worn here on October 14, 1989, are known as the Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure.

The tiara is called Queen Mary’s Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara—also known affectionately as “Granny’s Tiara,” as it belonged to Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary. The tiara originally featured large pearls, which were removed on Queen Mary’s orders and refashioned into the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara, a favorite of both Princess Diana and Kate Middleton.

The Queen’s diamond and sapphire necklace and earrings, known fittingly as the Victorian Suite of Sapphire and Diamond set, were made originally in 1850 and given to Lilibet by her father, King George VI, for her wedding. The matching tiara was made in 1963. She’s seen wearing them here on June 11, 1992.

The Oriental Circlet was designed by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, and inspired by Indian jewelry on display at the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was a favorite of the Queen Mother’s, and Queen Elizabeth herself only worn it once: for a 2005 trip to Malta. That night, she paired it with Queen Mary’s ruby cluster earrings and the Baring Ruby Necklace, per the Court Jeweller.

Originally designed for Queen Mary in 1911, the Cullinan V Heart diamond brooch that the Queen is pictured wearing on March 9, 1989 is about 19 carats.

The Queen’s diamond crown, which she’s pictured wearing on November 13, 2002, is known as the State Diadem and was made in 1820 for King George IV, Queen Victoria’s uncle. The diadem is traditionally worn by queens and queens consort to the State Openings of Parliament.

This yellow gold, ruby, and diamond “Scarab Brooch” was a favorite of the Queen’s and was given to her by her husband, Prince Philip, in 1966.

This charming bejeweled basket of flowers brooch was given to the Queen by her parents after the birth of Prince Charles in 1948.

The bow-shaped diamond brooch the Queen wore, fittingly, to the 2011 marriage of Kate Middleton and her grandson Prince William, is known as the Lover’s Knot brooch and was part of Queen Mary’s collection.

For an official visit to Germany on June 24, 2015, Queen Elizabeth sported the Crown Ruby necklace, designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria. The monarch also wore Queen Victoria’s Crown Ruby Brooch for the occasion. They were part of the Queen Mother’s collection until her death in 2002.

Few pieces appeared more consistently in Queen Elizabeth’s jewelry rotation than this three-strand pearl necklace, a gift from her father, King George VI, whose elegant simplicity made it easy to pair with nearly anything else she wore.

A sapphire framed in diamonds and gold, this brooch was acquired from the estate of the late Empress Marie Feodorovna, who died in her home country of Denmark in 1928, by Queen Mary in 1934. It passed to the Queen Mother, and later to Queen Elizabeth, who wore it very rarely. Here she’s seen wearing it on a trip to Rome in 2014.

The Queen Mother commissioned Cartier to fashion this brooch in 1938, using existing diamonds from her personal collection in the setting. Its shape echoes a paisley pattern, a motif long associated with her native Scotland, where she spent much of her childhood. Queen Elizabeth later inherited the brooch, and wore it to many engagements later in life. One of the last times she was seen wearing it in public was at the 2021 Royal Ascot. Queen Camilla has since been seen wearing the bauble.