50 Scandalous Facts About Princess Diana's Jewelry Collection.

Princess Diana owned, borrowed, and wore some of the most recognizable jewelry in royal history. But behind the diamonds, sapphires, and pearls were stories far more fascinating than their price tags. Diana transformed royal heirlooms, ignored traditional ways of wearing them, accepted spectacular gifts from foreign rulers, and continued reinventing her jewelry, even as her marriage to Prince Charles collapsed. Some pieces eventually passed to Catherine and others returned to the royal family, and several have virtually disappeared from public view. From jewels connected to her divorce to royal treasures she never actually owned, here are 50 scandalous and surprising facts about Princess Diana's jewelry collection. When Prince Charles proposed, Diana selected a striking sapphire and diamond ring made by At its center was a 12-karat oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds. Rather than choosing a conventional diamond solitaire, Diana selected the dramatic blue stone that would eventually become one of the world's most recognizable engagement rings. Few jewels are more closely associated with Diana than the Spencer tiara she wore at her 1981 wedding. Yet despite wearing it repeatedly as Princess of Wales, Diana never personally owned it. The tiara belonged to the Spencer family, meaning it remained with her birth family rather than becoming part of Diana's estate. She turned a royal necklace into a headband. During a 1985 visit to Melbourne, Diana stunned observers by wearing an emerald and diamond choker across her forehead. Her longtime hairdresser, Richard Dalton, later revealed that Diana had sunburn on her neck, so they improvised securing the valuable royal jewel around her head using a piece of ordinary elastic. Hers Diana's famous collection was actually a mixture of completely different types of jewelry. She personally owned some pieces, while others belonged to the royal family or the Spencers, and still others were simply lent to her. Consequently, appearing repeatedly in a jewel didn't necessarily mean Diana actually owned it. Diana left very specific instructions concerning her personal jewelry. In her will, she asked for the jewels allocated to William and Harry's shares so that their future wives could eventually use them. Decades later, that wish became reality, with both Catherine and Meghan appearing publicly in pieces associated with Diana. 6. Meghan's Engagement Ring Contains Diana's Diamonds When Prince Harry designed Meghan Markle's engagement ring, he incorporated two diamonds from his mother's personal collection alongside a larger central diamond from Botswana. Instead of simply passing down one of Diana's existing rings, Harry therefore created a new piece of jewelry that permanently incorporated stones belonging to his mother. 7. Diana's Aquamarine Ring Reappeared at Harry's Wedding Following Diana's divorce, an enormous aquamarine cocktail ring became part of her new jewelry wardrobe. More than two decades later, Meghan unexpectedly wore the same striking blue ring when she and Harry departed for their evening wedding reception in 2018, creating one of the clearest links between Diana's post-royal style and Meghan's. 8. She Borrowed One of Her Boldest Crosses The enormous amethyst and diamond Atala cross looked perfectly suited to Diana, but it wasn't hers. Businessman Naeem Atala owned the Garrard pendant and allowed Diana to borrow it. She famously wore the dramatic cross in 1987, demonstrating the increasingly daring jewelry choices that were becoming part of her public image. 9. Kim Kardashian Bought Diana's Famous Cross The story of the Atala cross became even stranger decades after Diana's death. In 2023, Kim Kardashian purchased the jewel at Sotheby's for £163,800, dramatically exceeding its £80,000 to £120,000 estimate. A necklace once privately loaned to a British princess had ended up in the collection of an American reality television star. 10. Some of Diana's Jewels Have Never Reappeared Not everything associated with Diana eventually appeared on Catherine or Meghan. Some spectacular pieces have rarely, if ever, been seen publicly since Diana's death in 1997. The uncertainty surrounding portions of her jewelry wardrobe has consequently fueled decades of speculation over precisely where certain famous pieces are today. 11. Diana Turned A Wedding Gift Into Her Famous Sapphire Choker The Queen Mother gave Diana a large sapphire and diamond brooch as a wedding present. Diana later had the enormous stone mounted on seven strands of pearls, transforming a traditional brooch into one of her signature chokers. It became far more famous in Diana's redesigned form than as the original wedding gift. 12. She Wore That Wedding Jewel With Her Revenge Dress In June 1994, Diana wore her redesigned sapphire and pearl choker with the famous black Christina Stamboulian revenge dress. The appearance occurred the same evening Prince Charles publicly acknowledged his adultery in a televised interview, turning a jewel originating as a royal wedding gift into part of Diana's most famous image of independence. 13. Saudi Arabia Gave Diana An Entire Sapphire Suite For her 1981 wedding, Saudi Crown Prince Fahd presented Diana with an extraordinary asprey, sapphire, and diamond collection. The gift included a necklace, earrings, bracelet, ring, and watch. Rather than sitting unused in a vault, the Saudi sapphires became some of the most recognizable jewels Diana wore during her years as Princess of Wales. 14. Diana Cut Up A Saudi Royal Gift To Create New Jewelry Diana wasn't afraid to alter even extraordinarily valuable diplomatic gifts. Elements from the Saudi sapphire watch were eventually transformed into completely different pieces, including a choker. Diana wore the redesigned jewel in unconventional ways, demonstrating that even gifts from foreign royalty weren't necessarily safe from her experiments with jewelry. 15. The Sultan Of Oman Gave Her Another Sapphire Collection During Charles and Diana's 1986 tour of Oman, Sultan Qaboos presented Diana with another spectacular sapphire and diamond suite. The modern collection included a necklace, earrings, and bracelet. Despite its significance and value, the complete Oman suite has essentially disappeared from regular public view since Diana's death. 16. Diana's Famous Pearl Earrings Reappeared On Catherine Collingwood, a jeweler closely associated with the royal family, gave Diana a pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings as a wedding present. She wore them throughout her royal life. Decades later, Catherine began wearing the same earrings, turning one of Diana's most recognizable pieces into part of another Princess of Wales' collection. 17. Diana Borrowed Diamonds For Her Engagement Photographs When 19-year-old Diana posed for formal photographs around the time of her engagement, she didn't yet possess the enormous jewelry collection later associated with her. Collingwood therefore loaned her spectacular diamond jewelry for some early portraits, meaning jewels appearing in important images of the future princess weren't necessarily hers at all. 18. One Extravagant Wedding Gift Was Reportedly Considered Too Much Collingwood reportedly intended to give Diana an exceptionally valuable diamond necklace and earrings for her wedding. However, palace officials were said to have considered such an expensive commercial gift inappropriate. The proposed present was therefore withdrawn, while Diana instead received the much less extravagant pearl and diamond earrings that became famous. 19. Diana's Butterfly Earrings Eventually Went To Meghan During a 1986 tour of Canada, Diana wore delicate gold butterfly earrings that were very different from her enormous tiaras and sapphires. More than three decades later, Meghan began wearing the same earrings. The relatively playful pieces became another part of Diana's private jewelry collection to unexpectedly return through one of her daughters-in-law. 20. The Lover's Knot Tiara Didn't Belong To Diana Either Queen Elizabeth II loaned Diana Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara after her marriage to Charles. Although the pearl and diamond tiara became synonymous with Diana, it remained royal property. After Diana's death, it disappeared from public view for years before Catherine eventually began wearing the same historic tiara regularly. 21. Diana Reportedly Disliked Wearing The Lover's Knot Tiara Despite becoming one of her most recognizable jewels, the enormous Lover's Knot Tiara reportedly wasn't particularly comfortable. Diana was said to find the heavy pearl and diamond creation headache-inducing. She increasingly favored the lighter Spencer Tiara, proving that even access to spectacular royal jewels didn't necessarily make them enjoyable to wear. 22. She Wore A Necklace Backwards Diana frequently found unconventional ways to use traditional jewelry. At a 1985 event in Melbourne, she famously turned a long pearl necklace around, allowing its dramatic clasp and strands to cascade down her bare back. The unexpected styling transformed a conventional string of pearls into something considerably more provocative. 23. She Wore Costumed Jewelry Alongside Royal Diamonds Diana wasn't interested exclusively in priceless gemstones. She regularly mixed expensive jewels with inexpensive costume jewelry, particularly during the 1980s. Faux pearls and fashionable earrings could appear alongside important royal pieces, helping Diana create looks that were far less rigid than the traditional jewelry wardrobes of earlier royal generations. 24. A Necklace Became One Of Her Most Famous Dresses In 1985, Diana attended a charity event wearing an extraordinary Catherine Walker gown featuring an enormous jeweled collar. The dramatic piece blurred the line between clothing and jewelry, with pearls and stones incorporated directly into the dress. It became known as the Elvis Dress because of its extravagant high-collared appearance. 25. Diana Had A Necklace Made From Her Initials Among Diana's less formal pieces was a delicate necklace featuring the letter D. Long before personalized jewelry became a modern celebrity trend, the princess wore her own initial around her neck. It offered a striking contrast to the historic tiaras and diplomatic gifts that dominated her official royal appearances. 26. She Owned A Bracelet Spelling Out Her Son's Names Diana's jewelry could also carry intensely personal meanings. One of her bracelets featured charms connected to William and Harry, reflecting her attachment to her sons rather than her royal position. Pieces like this rarely matched the monetary value of her major gemstones, but were arguably among her most personal possessions. 27. Diana Owned A Gold Necklace Engraved With William's Name After Prince William's birth, Prince Charles reportedly gave Diana a gold disk necklace engraved with their son's name. Unlike the enormous diplomatic jewels associated with her royal position, Diana regularly wore the deeply personal piece privately, making it one of the sentimental jewels connected directly to her role as a mother. 28. Another Bracelet Became Entangled In The Camilla Story One of the most infamous jewelry stories surrounding Diana actually involved a bracelet intended for Camilla Parker Bowles. Diana discovered that Charles had commissioned a bracelet engraved with the letters G and F shortly before their wedding. Diana later recalled the discovery as a devastating warning about Charles' continuing attachment to Camilla. 29. Diana Wore A Pearl Necklace With A Knot Instead Of A Clasp Diana repeatedly experimented with pearls rather than treating them as untouchable symbols of royal tradition. On some occasions, she wore long strands dramatically knotted or arranged in unexpected ways, giving conservative pearls a distinctly contemporary appearance. Her willingness to experiment became one of the defining characteristics of her jewelry style. 30. Her Swan Lake Necklace Had A Strange Fate Just weeks before her death, Diana wore a spectacular Gerard diamond and pearl necklace to a performance of Swan Lake in London. Matching earrings were still being completed. Because the transaction was never finalized, the jewels didn't pass to William and Harry and were later sold commercially despite becoming forever associated with Diana. 31. Diana Wore A Ring On Her Little Finger Diana frequently ignored conventional ideas about how royal jewelry should be worn. Among her more distinctive habits was wearing rings on her little finger, including during public appearances. It was a small detail, but one that reflected the increasingly individual approach she took to jewelry rather than simply following established royal styling. 32. Her Wedding Earrings Came From Her Mother's Collection Not everything Diana wore down the aisle was a new royal wedding gift. Her diamond earrings belonged to her mother, Frances Shawn Kidd. Combined with the Spencer tiara, they meant Diana entered St. Paul's Cathedral wearing prominent jewelry from her own family rather than relying entirely on jewels supplied by the Windsors. 33. She Received A Historic Brooch From The Queen Mother Among Diana's wedding gifts was a diamond and emerald Prince of Wales Feathers brooch from the Queen Mother. The design represented the symbol traditionally associated with the Prince of Wales. Diana often suspended the brooch from an emerald and diamond necklace, transforming an official emblem into a glamorous piece of evening jewelry. 34. Camilla Later Wore The Same Prince of Wales Brooch The Prince of Wales Feathers brooch acquired an extraordinary second chapter after Diana's death. Camilla later wore the historic jewel while she was Princess of Wales. Although the brooch was a royal heirloom rather than Diana's personal property, seeing a jewel so strongly associated with Diana worn by Charles' second wife inevitably attracted attention. 35. Diana Received Pearls From Japan's Emperor Diana's wedding produced an extraordinary international collection of gifts. Emperor Hirohito of Japan presented her with cultured pearls, reflecting Japan's celebrated pearl industry. The gift demonstrated how Diana's jewelry box became intertwined with diplomacy. Foreign rulers routinely used valuable jewels to commemorate her marriage to the future king. 36. The Emir of Qatar Gave Diana Pearls Among Diana's many wedding gifts was a pearl and diamond jewelry suite from the Emir of Qatar. The set included a necklace and matching earrings, adding another important pearl collection to Diana's rapidly expanding jewelry wardrobe. Like several of her wedding gifts, it also reflected the diplomatic importance of her marriage to Prince Charles. 37. Diana Owned A Ring That Looked Remarkably Like Her Engagement Ring Diana also possessed a sapphire cabochon ring surrounded by diamonds. Although very different on close inspection, its large blue center stone echoed the coloring of her famous engagement ring. Diana wore the jewel during her marriage, adding another substantial sapphire ring to a collection already dominated by the gemstone. 38. She Wore A Choker That Had Once Belonged To Queen Alexandra Diana's access to royal jewelry extended deep into British history. She wore Queen Alexandra's diamond and pearl wedding necklace, created from jewels presented to Alexandra before her 1863 marriage. More than a century later, Diana paired the Victorian royal treasure with contemporary evening gowns, giving the historic piece an entirely new public identity. 39. She Wore The Queen Mother's Enormous Sapphire Brooch Diana occasionally borrowed jewels directly from other senior royals, including the Queen Mother's enormous sapphire and diamond brooch. Rather than every major sapphire seen on Diana belonging to her personal collection, some of the most impressive stones she displayed were temporary loans from women higher in the royal hierarchy. 40. Diana's Jewelry Became More Independent After Her Separation As Diana's marriage unraveled, her jewelry wardrobe noticeably moved away from the full royal regalia associated with her earlier years. Tiaras became less important while chokers, bold earrings, pearls, and personally owned pieces increasingly defined her image. Her changing jewelry therefore visually tracked her gradual separation from traditional royal life. 41. Diana Deliberately Fooled The Press Despite having access to priceless royal jewelry, Diana enjoyed wearing inexpensive costume pieces from London jeweler Butler & Wilson. According to accounts of her collection, she was particularly amused when newspapers mistakenly described these pieces as valuable gems. Some of the most convincing royal jewels photographed on Diana therefore weren't precious at all. 42. She Designed Mismatched Sapphire And Ruby Earrings Diana didn't always accept jewelry exactly as she received it. She created an extraordinary mismatched pair using pieces from her collection. One earring featured a large blue sapphire and pearl, while the other featured a red ruby and pearl. She famously wore the deliberately mismatched earrings during her 1992 tour of South Korea. 43. Diana's Engagement Ring Created A Royal Myth For Years Reports claimed Harry inherited Diana's and later gave it to William so he could propose to Catherine. Harry eventually rejected the story in his memoir Spare, stating that the ring had never been his to give, and William already possessed it. 44. Diana Helped Design Her Final Famous Necklace The Swan Lake necklace wasn't simply selected from Garrard's existing stock. Diana collaborated with the jeweler on the South Sea Pearl & Diamond creation. After wearing it at the Royal Albert Hall in June 1997, she liked it enough to ask Garrard to create matching earrings, which she never lived to wear. 45. Her Costume Jewelry Disappeared To it isn't only Diana's spectacular sapphires and royal jewels whose whereabouts attract questions. Her collection also included numerous inexpensive costume pieces, particularly jewelry associated with Butler & Wilson. According to Vanity Fair, these pieces haven't been publicly identified since her death, leaving even some of Diana's cheapest jewelry with an uncertain fate. 46. Diana Wore Her Qatar Pearls Until Shortly Before Her Death The Emir of Qatar gave Diana diamond and pearl earrings as part of her 1981 wedding gifts. Unlike some diplomatic jewels that disappeared into storage, Diana continued wearing the She was photographed in them at Christie's in 1997, only months before her death, showing their remarkable longevity in her wardrobe. 47. Her Jewelry Became Part Of Her Post-Divorce Reinvention After her divorce was finalized in 1996, Diana no longer had the same role or access to royal jewelry that had characterized her years as Charles' wife. Her later appearances instead emphasized personally associated pieces and modern designs, helping create the dramatically different image she presented during the final year of her life. 48. Some Diana Jewels Returned To The Royal Collection Diana's death did not mean every jewel she had famously worn passed to William & Harry. Pieces loaned to her from the royal collection remained royal property. This helps explain why jewels closely identified with Diana, including major historic pieces, could later appear on other members of the royal family. 49. Her Daughters-In-Law Inherited Two Very Different Jewelry Legacies Today, Diana's jewelry legacy is divided between personal pieces connected with William & Harry and historic royal jewels Diana merely borrowed. Catherine has worn both Diana-associated royal heirlooms and personal pieces, while Meghan has appeared in several personal jewels linked to her late mother-in-law, including the butterfly earrings. 50. Diana's Jewelry Collection Never Really Existed As One Collection Perhaps the biggest misconception is that all the famous jewels Diana wore formed one enormous personal collection. In reality, her jewelry came from dramatically different sources—personal purchases, wedding gifts, foreign rulers, the Spencer family, royal loans, and inexpensive costume jewelry. Diana's extraordinary talent was making all of them appear unmistakably her own. Princess Diana's jewelry told a story that went far beyond diamonds and royal wealth. She borrowed priceless heirlooms, redesigned wedding gifts, mixed real gemstones with costume jewelry, and repeatedly ignored traditional ideas about how royal jewels should be worn. Even after her death, the story continued as some pieces passed to Catherine and Meghan, others returned to the royal family, and several disappeared from public view altogether. Nearly three decades later, the mystery, controversy, and remarkable stories surrounding Diana's jewels remain almost as fascinating as the princess who wore them.