Queen Elizabeth’s most colourful jewellery moments

By Joshua Hendren

Over the course of her 70-year reign, the late Queen Elizabeth II displayed a keen eye for colourful jewellery. Here, we take a look at her most breathtaking rainbow jewels – from pale blue brooches to shimmering sets of fiery rubies.

At a state banquet on the Queen’s official visit to Germany in June 2015, she opted for the Crown Ruby necklace (designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria) which she beautifully matched with Queen Victoria’s Crown Ruby brooch.

This Oriental Circlet was worn just once by Her Majesty on a trip to Malta in 2005. The piece, designed by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, was paired with Queen Mary’s ruby cluster earrings and the Baring Ruby necklace.

This Burmese ruby tiara was designed by court jeweller Garrard in 1973. It’s set with 96 rubies that were gifted to the Queen by the people of Burma as a wedding present.

Set in gold, the crimson stones that sparkle on the Queen’s Burmese ruby tiara are arranged as blossoming flowers among diamonds.

On a visit to Swansea in 2008, the Queen coordinated her cheerful yellow ensemble with this blooming sunflower brooch.

Commissioned by her grandmother, Queen Mary, for the Delhi Durbar celebrations in 1911, this Round Cambridge Emerald brooch was inherited by Her Majesty in 1953.

For a Diplomatic Corps Reception at Buckingham Palace in 2019, the Queen complemented the storied Vladimir tiara, featuring swinging emerald drops and round brilliant-cut diamonds, with a matching necklace.

At a state banquet on her official tour of Malaysia in 1989, the Queen showcased this matching emerald necklace and earring set known as the Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure, worn here with Queen Mary’s Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara (also known as “Granny’s Tiara”) which belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary.

These gorgeous diamond and aquamarine clip brooches were designed by French jeweller Boucheron and were gifted to Her Majesty by her parents on her 18th birthday in April 1944.

Here, the Queen sparkles in diamond and aquamarine earrings and a necklace gifted to her by the People of Brazil in honour of her coronation. The Queen had Garrard make this matching tiara four years later.

At a Scandinavian arts festival at the Barbican in 1992, the Queen elevated her sequinned dress with this eye-catching turquoise jewellery set.

At a garden party at Balmoral in 2012, the Queen donned Prince Albert’s sapphire brooch, given to Queen Victoria on her wedding day and left to the crown in her will.

A wedding gift from her father, King George VI, this matching necklace and earrings are known as the Victorian Suite of Sapphire and Diamond and were made originally in 1850.

This spectacular set, known as the Crown Amethyst Suite of Jewels or the The Kent Amethysts, originally belonged to Queen Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, and includes a diamond brooch, necklace and earrings.

This regal gem is known as the Kent Amethyst Brooch and features a hexagonal-shaped amethyst encircled with diamonds.

A favourite among royal fans, the Williamson brooch is set with a pink diamond at its core which was discovered in 1947 at the Williamson mine in Tanzania. 

Queen Elizabeth commissioned this brooch as a 100th birthday present for the Queen Mother. It is flanked by 100 diamonds and features a hand-painted Queen Elizabeth Grandiflora Rose on rock crystal.

Commanding attention in yellow gold, ruby, and diamond, this Scarab Brooch was gifted to the Queen by her husband, Prince Philip, in 1966.

Like this? Discover the meaning behind the Queen’s symbolic Crown Jewels