British jewellery

It doesn’t take an expert to know that royal families have a lot of incredibly expensive possessions. From palaces to cars they’ve lived the high life for decades, but there’s one particular element that is often more fascinating than anything else: jewels. From tiaras that would make Tiffany’s green with envy to stunning eleven-tier pearl […]

The sceptre comprises a gold rod, formed in three sections, with enamelled collars at the intersections, surmounted by an enamelled heart-shaped structure, which holds a huge drop-shaped diamond, Cullinan I, or the Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats. This structure is surmounted by enamelled brackets mounted with step-cut emeralds, and by a faceted amethyst monde, set with table and rose-cut diamonds, rubies, spinels and emeralds, with a cross above set with further diamonds, with a…

To celebrate this year's Diamond Jubilee, the Royal Collection will be launching a very special exhibition at Buckingham Palace this summer.

It doesn’t take an expert to know that royal families have a lot of incredibly expensive possessions. From palaces to cars they’ve lived the high life for decades, but there’s one particular element that is often more fascinating than anything else: jewels.

The tiara: Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara. The history: For Queen Alexandra's silver wedding anniversary of 1888, a royal committee (made up of 364 aristocratic ladies named 'The Ladies of Society') raised money to have this kokoshnik-style tiara made. It is made up of 61 diamond bars. The current wearer: Queen Elizabeth II.