More than the captivating storyline, enchanting cinematography, and powerful performances, many fans of The Crown have been following the series for an entirely different reason. Jewelry fans the world over have been hawk-eyeing each episode of this drama to get a glimpse of the extravagant accessories worn by the royals. Sometimes gaudy, but always show-stopping, the Royals have been wowing onlookers with their baubles for as long as there has been a monarchy ruling over Great Britain. With each star appearance, fans eagerly await the revelation of another masterpiece being strutted out by someone from this prestigious family.
Fans eye the jewelry pieces longingly, desperate to get yet another glimpse at these precious stones. At the heart of this unquenchable appetite for glitz, is the unyielding desire to don those royal family heirlooms. And here’s the real secret. It can be done.
Of course, you can’t just walk up to Buckingham Palace and request a try-on of the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara, but there’s another way. With the help of a little ingenuity (and a lot of demand), commercialism is coming to your aid. Not to miss out on an opportunity to capitalize, jewelers the world over have quickly jumped on the trend of crafting look-alike trinkets to satiate the unquenchable appetite for royal family-inspired jewelry. As a result, today you can recreate these dramatic, regal accessories with much more accessible (and not to mention affordable!) jewelry that you can buy online.
If you’re dying to recreate how the royals roll, from diamond-crusted diadems to massive stones that sparkle when you wave, check out 10 of the most impressive royal family-inspired pieces that you might even get a sneak peek of in The Crown.
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #1: Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Brooch
Who wore it best? Queen Elizabeth made a smashing appearance with the brooch at Princess Elizabeth’s wedding in 1947, but the Queen Mother really outdid the piece when she wore the brooch to her memorable 101st birthday celebration, looking as regal as a queen ever has.
Inspiration or backstory: Given to Her Majesty in commemoration of her own Diamond Jubilee, this piece is an heirloom of the crown. So, it gets passed from one monarch to the next.
What it’s made from: Pearl center surrounded by brilliants in cut-down collets with pearl drop.
When it appears in the series: Season 1, Episode 1.
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #2: Basket-of-Flowers Brooch
Who wore it best? Always and forever, Queen Elizabeth II.
Inspiration or backstory: This colorful bouquet was given to the Queen by her parents in 1948 after the birth of Prince Charles.
What it’s made from: A stunning golden basket studded with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds.
When it appears in the series: Season 1, Episode 1.
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #3: Diamond Flame Lily Brooch
Who wore it best? Queen Elizabeth sports the brooch often, most recently at last year’s Chelsea Flower Show against a stunning lime green jacket.
Inspiration or backstory: Queen Elizabeth was given the Flame Lily as a birthday present from the children of Rhodesia when she turned 21. She wore the brooch one other time when she alighted the plane and took her first steps on British soil as its rightful Queen.
What it’s made from: 301 diamonds set in platinum and white gold.
When it appears in the series: Season 1, Episode 2.
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #4: Prince Albert’s Sapphire Brooch
Who wore it best? Queen Victoria certainly rocked her wedding with this bauble, but Mary, Elizabeth, and the current Queen have also donned the gem most elegantly.
Inspiration or backstory: The pristine blue sapphire brooch was a present to Queen Victoria from Prince Albert. He gifted the gem to her the day before they were to wed, a touching gesture by a smitten groom.
What it’s made from: A stunning sapphire set in a gold crown with diamond clusters.
When it appears in the series: Season 2, Episode 8
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #5: Gloucester Pearl and Diamond Earrings
Who wore it best? Princess Elizabeth when she looked smashing on her wedding day.
Inspiration or backstory: These clusters were first owned by Princess Mary, the Duchess of Gloucester, and have been handed down from one lady of the house to another for over a century and a half.
What it’s made from: Diamonds set in gold and silver with detachable pearls.
When it appears in the series: Season 1, Episode 1.
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #6: Wallis Simpson's Elegant Van Cleef & Maple Leaf Brooch
Probably the easiest of The Crown pieces to recreate is the Maple Leaf brooch, one of the Queen’s favorite pieces even today.
Who wore it best? Both Queens Elizabeth, Kate Middleton, Camilla Parker Bowles. And we have to say the current queen certainly pulls it off most impressively.
Inspiration or backstory: The beautiful brooch was a present to Queen Elizabeth from her husband, King George VI, on one of their visits to Canada.
What it’s made from: Diamonds set in platinum.
When it appears in the series: N/A
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #7: Queen Anne and Caroline Pearl Necklaces
Who wore it best? Princess Elizabeth managed to procure them from her wedding gift collection at the last moment before her wedding vows.
Inspiration or backstory: While they’re worn together exclusively, these necklaces are actually 2 strands of creamy pearls. The smaller one belonged to Queen Anne (hence the name), and the longer one to Queen Caroline.
What it’s made from: Multiple strands of pearls (46 and 50).
When it appears in the series: Season 1, Episode 1.
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #8: Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon's Engagement Ring
Who wore it best? Obviously Princess Margaret!
Inspiration or backstory: This stunning ring was actually designed by Princess Margaret’s fiancé, Antony Armstrong-Jones. His intention was to create a rosebud, hinting at his beloved’s middle name Rose.
What it’s made from: Tremendous ruby encircled with diamonds.
When it appears in the series: Season 2, Episode 7.
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #9: Queen Mary's Diamond Riviere
Who wore it best? We happen to think that Princess Margaret looked smashing in this elegant necklace.
Inspiration or backstory: Dating back to the year 1900, the diamond riviere belonged to Queen Mary and was given as a gift to the first queen by her granddaughter Princess Margaret.
What it’s made from: This eye-popping necklace is made in a subtly graduated line with 34 old-cut diamonds and mounted in silver and gold.
When it appears in the series: Season 2, Episode 4.
Royal Family-Inspired Jewelry #10: Cullinan III & IV
Who wore it best? The Queen has worn this brooch on many occasions, particularly at her Diamond Jubilee church service.
Inspiration or backstory: Queen Mary had the brooch cut from the famous Cullinian diamond, and later it was inherited by Elizabeth in 1953 from her grandmother. The royal family affectionately calls this brooch Granny’s Chips.
What it’s made from: This impressive brooch is made up of 2 diamonds. But not just any diamonds. These rocks were cut from the colossal Cullinian diamond back in 1905 and together equal 158 carats.
When it appears in the series: Numerous times.
Royal Family Jewels: Mission Accomplished
So, while you may not be able to recreate that stunning Lotus Flower tiara (worn by Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Serena Stanhope, and most recently, Kate Middleton), there are plenty of stunning royal accessories that you can rock. And the best part is that you won’t have to mortgage your house to look positively regal!
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