Royal Wedding Jewelry: Catherine Wears Cartier & Robinson Pelham

The royal wedding jewelry shining from Kate Middleton (now Her Royal Highness Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) was an understated display of elegance, grace and delicate diamonds.

The Tiara:

The subject of MUCH speculation, Kate 'borrowed' the Halo Tiara from The Queen's coffers, which was made by Cartier in 1936. The Queen's father, then the Duke of York, bought the bauble for the Queen Mother, then the Duchess of York (still with me?), who then gave it to her daughter - then Princess Elizabeth - on her 18th birthday.

Set in platinum, the priceless jewel is made from old and baguette-cut diamonds, with the upper part forming a range of lotus flowers and the lower 'zig-zag' part forming a removable piece that can be used as a bandeau.

No word yet on whether or not Catherine gets to keep it for her own collection - or if it's just a loaner. Stay tuned!

The Earrings:

Kate's understated earrings by Robinson Pelham were a gift from her parents - and were specifically designed to match her tiara. Nice touch.

According to Today Show blogger, The Windsor Knot, the earrings are diamond-set stylised oak leaves with a pear-shaped diamond drop and a pavé-set diamond acorn suspended in the centre.

Inspiration for the design comes from the Middleton family's new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves. Cool.


The Ring:

Kate's wedding band, which ALMOST didn't make it on her ring finger (nice work, Wills) is a rare band of Welsh gold by Wartski, who also crafted the Welsh gold wedding bands for Prince Charles and Camilla.

Prince William famously declined to wear a ring because he 'doesn't have a taste for jewelry'. It's a happy day. I'll leave this as a rare "No comment".

Overall, we witnessed a delicate diamond display that's in keeping with Kate's understated jewelry style. We'll see how long that lasts now that she has access to The Queen's stash!

Princess Diana's Wedding Jewelry - A Surprise Guest

Forgive me as I dive headlong into a Royal Wedding blogfest this week. I already teared up at the snippet of Barbara Walters' interview of Elton John on Good Morning America this morning - I'm going to be a mess come Friday.

While the rumor mill is buzzing about the guest list (Elton John and the Becks made the cut), the dress designer (Kate, herself, is now in the running) and the honeymoon spot (Lizard Island, Australia) - my heart belongs to the jewelry buzz - of course.

One tear-jerker of a jewelry morsel I uncovered was news that Princess Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, will wear the late princess's wedding earrings to William and Kate’s big day. The royal stunners each feature a central pear-shaped diamond surrounded by almost 50 smaller diamonds.

According to Today Show blog, The Windsor Knot, the diamond drop earrings were the “something borrowed” worn by Diana to marry Charles and were seen in all their glory when the couple kissed on the Buckingham Palace balcony 30 years ago (they were owned by Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, who died in 2004).

The priceless jewels were flown back from America, where they were featured in the exhibition Diana: A Celebration. Now at Union Station museum and gallery in  Kansas City, the display also includes the late princess's wedding dress and other items from her life.

While all of the Spencer family, including Diana’s other sister Lady Jane Fellowes and brother Earl Spencer, will be attending - royal watchers were shocked to learn that none of them will play a visible role in the ceremony.

A snub of royal porportions? Or a tasteful way to make the day just about William and Kate?  I'm going with the latter. Let's not rub salt in old wounds.

Royal Wedding Fever: A Jewelry Cure

Jewelry hounds! The royal wedding countdown is reaching a fever pitch - with rumors swirling, photogs shoving and royal security teams working on overdrive - it will be a miracle if we all survive this phenomenon unscathed.

I am already trying to get a head start on my sleep so I can Live Tweet the proceedings from my spot on the royal sofa at 4AM PST on Friday morning the 29th. You should join me just to keep me from nodding off! Be sure to use #royaljewelry to join the morning mayhem.

But like the rest of the world, I'm just so darned excited for this shindig. With gas prices rising, wars escalating and Donald Trump's hairpiece getting way too much air time - we really need this celebration of true love to lift our spirits, right?

So how do we stop our temperature from rising when new tidbits about Kate's dress designer make the rounds (my money is still on Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton) or the bride herself is spotted buying eyeshadow on the streets of London or The Queen....raises a pinky finger in any direction?

 

Gawk at jewelry. And royal-inspired jewelry, no less.
 
Many jewelers have already capitalized on the Princess Diana/Kate Middleton engagement ring phenomenon - but one place, in particular, has already curated an entire assortment inspired by the sapphire stunner heard 'round the world.

JewelClub!

Here are few of my favs but you can click here to see their entire stash. - many that look just like Kate's rock.

And feel free to page through some of my previous royal posts featuring crown jewels from around the world. The Swedish Royal Wedding is one of my favs.

Ok then, jewelry hounds and royal watchers. Seven days and counting. Stay with me next week as I post all the jewelry and fashion-related royal wedding tidbits I can get my paws on. Because reality is underrated.

Prince William's Wedding Band Diss

What gives, Wills? I've been bombarded with reports that the King of England-to-be will (gasp!) NOT be wearing a royal wedding band.

Kate Middleton, of course, will be putting the pedal to the metal with a Welsh gold band bequeathed by the Queen, but her famous fiance is rejecting the most hallowed of bridal traditions for no other reason than - he just doesn't have a taste for jewelry.

Yeah, neither does most of the warm-blooded male population, but they suck it up and wear the universal symbol for 'I'm taken' just the same. Just sayin'.

“It was something the couple discussed, but Prince William isn’t one for jewelry,” a St. James Palace aid tells the Daily Mail. “It really is just down to personal preference.”

It’s a bold decision for any groom to make, royal or no. Even Will’s father, Charles, wears a wedding band beneath his signet ring. But according to insiders, the Prince has Kate’s blessing.

What do you guys think of William's wedding band balk? Is it OK for guys (any guy - not just the most famous groom on the planet) to take a pass on the wedding band tradition? Or is it all's fair in love and ring fingers? Thoughts?

April Is Diamond Month - Birthstones, Brides and Brits, Oh My!

Jewelry hounds, just when we thought our Awards Show jewelry withdrawal was going to get the better of us, in walks April with a swagger and a promise:

Hold on to your "holy cow!" - It's going to be one doozy of a diamond month!

Why? Well, let's get the most obvious reason out of the way first.  For those of you living in a cave, the royal wedding is this month! Not only will we get to ooh and ahh at Kate Middleton's wedding jewelry, we can gawk at all the other crown jewels and gems that are sure to make an apperance.

These ladies never met a tiara they didn't like, Mary. For reals.

Stay tuned for all my jewelry-laden lead up to the big day on April 29th. And I'm of half a mind to Live Tweet the darn thing. Any takers for #royaljewelry?

OK. The next big reason to celebrate April? It's this month's birthstone. (Please excuse me while I seethe with envy at all you April babies). BUT even if you're not born in April, many folks in bauble land are celebrating - including JewelClub with their April Is Diamond Month extravaganza.

Today, for example, I saw on their FaceBook Page that they are cutting the price of this 1/2 ct three-stone diamond anniversary ring by 83%. Not sure what they're smoking over there, but as Meg Ryan famously said in When Harry Met Sally...

"I'll have what they're having..."

And they promise to slash the prices of lots of diamond classics all month - just check in on their Homepage and bring on the ice.

So we while we red carpet jewelry gawkerts have to wait until May 2nd to get a legitimate fix (The Met's Costume Institute Gala is scheduled then - stay tuned), April is picking up the slack in a MAJOR way.

No foolin'!

Royal Wedding Update: The Dress, The Jewelry, The Guessing Games Begin

Egypt's political crisis and those "monster" winter storms have NOTHING on the two most buzzed about topics in the world right now:

What designer will Kate Middleton wear down the aisle? And for gosh sakes - what tiara will she choose to light up Westminster Abbey?

Jezebel collected some of the buzz and here are the highlights:

The Royal Wedding Dress Designer:

Rumor has it that Princess Diana's longtime fashion collaborator, designer Bruce Oldfield, is the chosen one to create the most famous wedding dress of the 21st Century.

During an interview with ABC News today, he wouldn't reveal if he is "the one" - but he did make these startling predictions:

Kate will wear long sleeves
Kate will wear a veil

I'm going to sleep well tonight, Bruce. Thanks for the tip!

The Trouble with Tiaras:

Too many tiaras - too little time. While devoted royal watchers take pride in their vast knowledge of the tiaras The Queen could choose for Kate's big day (Yup, it's all up to grandma) - I haven't a clue. That's why I visit Mad Hattery's Tiara-Pedia to get up to speed -  a delicious place to waste time on a Friday afternoon.

The smart money is on The Strathmore Rose tiara  - which was a wedding gift to the Queen Mum from her father, the Earl of Strathmore.

Or blogger, Aestheticus Rex, puts the Fringe Tiara in the mix as well - which The Queen Mother lent to both her daughter Princess Elizabeth and granddaughter Princess Anne on their respective wedding days.

The questions! The questions! Too many questions! The dress? The tiara? Who is on the guest list? Who will be royally snubbed? Where will they honeymoon? Will Harry bring a date? Will Prince Charles bring a personality?

There's only twelve weeks left until April 29th when all will finally be revealed, jewelry hounds. Until then, you have my permission to ignore important world events, life threatening storms - and taxes.

Kate and William's Rainbow Connection

Kermit, eat your heart out. Britain's Daily Mirror reports that Kate Middleton and Prince William are going to be GIVEN the world's most expensive diamond stash, The Rainbow Collection, by some uber rich Saudis who want to buy the $120 million treasure chest from gem collector, Eddy Elzas.

It's good to be the king (in waiting).

These special 'crown jewels' are made up of 301 of the world's largest and finest fancy colored diamonds.  Few have seen the fabled collection (which is why I'm having a hard time tracking down pictures), and a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family even tried to buy them as a wedding gift for Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981, but the offer was turned down by Mr Elzas.

“Lots of Middle Eastern investors are keen to buy the collection and give them to William and Kate because it would be a huge badge of honor,” a source said.

“A deal is now very close to being done and an announcement is set to be made soon. Mr Elzas is due to retire soon so is looking to sell. But he will only sell if they go to William and Kate. He thinks it would be a fitting gift for the couple.”

What will the tony twosome do with the donated loot? Hard to tell - but I would give my pinky finger to see a new rainbow crown or tiara designed in Kate's honor. Can you imagine?

In the meantime, click here for more crown jewel craziness - and here to see another colored diamond display that took my breath away.

Wear Jewelry Designed by Kate Middleton

Official engagement photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton are the latest buzz coming from the royal wedding front, but I found this little tidbit to be much more interesting:

Kate Middleton used to be an assistant jewelry buyer for British retailer, Jigsaw, back in 2007. Who knew?

Sure it's not as juicy as the pics of the happy couple taken by renowned fashion photog, Mario Testino, but it's a sure sign the future Queen of England not only has good taste in men - she knows her way around the accessories landscape.

While most of us won't be able to wear anything close to the jewelry in Kate's stash, we can own a piece of jewelry designed by her.  PEOPLE reports this simple bean charm necklace was created by Kate when she targeted a gap in the teen marketplace for a sophisticated style both mother and daughter could wear together.

 

Designer, Claudia Bradby, helped Middleton realize her vision back in 2007.

“Kate was very clear in what she wanted,” Bradby told PEOPLE of Middleton’s involvement (they met three times during the design process). “It was completely her initiative because she thought there was a gap in the market for something real and sophisticated, that had longevity for that age group.”

The final result is this silver bean pendant, rose quartz and freshwater pearl charm on a long silver chain, priced at 46 pounds ($73). Visit Bradby's website to stock your stuffing with one of your own. 

I also found these whimsical charm necklaces on sample sale sensation, JewelClub, that are great for new moms:

Or just for fun (loving that both Sex And The City silhouttes are represented here - the clover and the horseshoe).

What do you guys think of Kate's jewelry idea? Is there still a gap in the market for sophisticated mother/daughter jewelry? I think she was on to something....

The History of Princess Diana's Sapphire Engagement Ring

Forgive me for my myopic view of the jewelry landscape this week, but I've got to share more information about the stunning royal sapphire engagment ring that's creating more buzz than a chainsaw convention.

Some of you have expressed interest in learning more about the specs and the history behind the ring. Your wish is my command.

Since I was a wee lass when Princess Di first came on the scene - I had no idea that the sapphire ring now making headlines was once a controversial choice - perhaps the first sign of trouble to come for Buckingham Palace and its relationship with Diana.

So, as Fraulein Maria would say: "Let's start at the very beginning."

Prince Wet Blanket.. (um, I mean) Charles apparently proposed to Di after a formal dinner party. Without a ring. Bo-RING. BUT - she at least got to sit down with the royal jeweler, Garrods, to pick out a rock of her choosing - every girl's dream, right?

But instead of selecting a custom-made diamond gem like 'most' girls of good breeding, Lady Diana acted like (gasp!) a commoner and decided on a catalog gemstone style instead. The horror! Despite the urgings from the palace, the bride's wish overruled any royal rumblings - and the rest, as they say, is history.

You gotta love that story - she was the People's Princess from day one. That said, the sapphire is HUGE and of top quality according to most jewelers. The 18-carat center stone is surrounded by 14 diamonds and cost around $60,000 back in 1981 but is worth over $500,000 these days. And at auction? The sky is the limit, really.

Sapphires for a Steal:

So, as promised, I've scrounged together a few more of my favorite sapphire rings for your browsing pleasure. Get those gift lists going, jewelry hounds. And let me know if you find/have other sapphire stunners you'd like to share!

What do you guys think of these selections? Did you know about the 'commoner ring controversy' back in the day?

Royal Wedding Round-up

The diamond tiara set is out and about again - this time at the royal wedding of Prince Nikolaos of Greece to longtime love, Miss Tatiana Blatnik (an event planner for Diane von Furstenberg).

While the bride was the only one with a tiara to triumph (check out Jewelry.com for details), the usual suspects showed up in their summer best.

Who is your favorite royal?

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden:


Princess Letizia of Spain:


Queen Sofia of Spain:


Princess Madeleine of Sweden:

Queen Margrethe of Denmark

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark:


Prince and Princess Michael of Kent:


Infanta Elena of Spain: