Inside the Royal Family’s 7 most expensive jewellery treasures | Royal | News
The British Royal Family’s jewellery vault is one of the most extraordinary collections in the world, blending priceless state treasures with deeply personal heirlooms. Some pieces belong to the Crown and are held in trust for the nation – including the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, a collection of ceremonial regalia kept securely in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.
While others are privately owned by the monarch and passed down within the family as gifts or inheritances, tiaras, necklaces and brooches often move between generations of royal women. The Crown Jewels are widely reported by experts and historians to have an estimated value in the region of £3 billion to £6 billion, based on factors such as gemstone quality, rarity and historical significance.
Beyond that, the family’s private collection includes legendary pieces such as the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace, which is worth a whopping £66million and jewels cut from the Cullinan diamond, which was a firm favourite of Queen Elizabeth II. Meanwhile, individual items run into tens or even hundreds of millions of pounds.
Taken together, experts believe the full royal jewellery collection is effectively priceless, making it one of the most valuable and culturally significant troves of jewels on Earth.
The legendary Nizam of Hyderabad necklace is one of the most valuable jewels in the Royal Family’s private collection, estimated at around £66 million. Princess Catherine famously wore the dazzling piece in 2014, bringing renewed attention to its breathtaking design of 300 diamonds centred around a striking pear-shaped stone. The necklace was originally a wedding gift from Asaf Jah VII, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1947. Designed by Cartier in the 1930s, it remains one of the most spectacular examples of royal high jewellery.
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The Delhi Durbar Tiara is one of the most historically charged pieces in the British royal jewellery collection, created especially for Queen Mary for the grand Delhi Durbar celebrations in 1911. Crafted in a dramatic openwork design, it features swirling diamond motifs set with an array of exceptional stones, including the Cullinan VII diamond, which hangs prominently from the centre. While royal jewels are rarely given official price tags, specialists have suggested it could be worth in the region of £8.5 million, largely due to its rarity, diamonds and remarkable provenance. Its significance lies as much in its imperial history as in its craftsmanship, making it a true museum-grade treasure. The tiara was brought back into the spotlight when Queen Camilla chose it for her first state banquet in October 2005, welcoming the King of Norway.
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The Cullinan III and IV brooch, part of the celebrated Cullinan suite, is regarded as one of the most valuable jewels in the world, with estimates ranging from £50 million to more than £180 million. Its extraordinary worth comes from the remarkable size, clarity and royal legacy of the diamonds, both cut from the historic 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, the largest rough gem ever discovered. The brooch is set with two show-stopping stones: the 94.4-carat pear-shaped Cullinan III and the 63.6-carat square cushion-cut Cullinan IV. Because jewels of this calibre and provenance almost never appear on the open market, placing an exact figure on its value is nearly impossible. Originally given to Queen Mary in 1910 and later inherited by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the iconic piece now belongs to Queen Camilla, cementing its place at the heart of the modern royal jewellery collection.
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The Greville Emerald Tiara, estimated to be worth around £10 million, is one of the most striking pieces in the royal vault thanks to its dramatic, jewel-heavy design. At its centre sits a breathtaking 93.7-carat emerald, framed by glittering diamonds and set in a finely crafted platinum band by the Parisian house Boucheron. The tiara was originally owned by Dame Margaret Greville, who bequeathed it to the Queen Mother, who later passed it to Queen Elizabeth II. In modern times, it has enjoyed a high-profile revival, most memorably worn by Princess Eugenie on her wedding day in 2018 and, more recently, by Queen Camilla.
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The Imperial State Crown is widely believed to be worth between £3 billion and £5 billion, although no official figure exists because the Crown Jewels are considered too valuable to insure. That staggering estimate reflects not just its craftsmanship but also the sheer weight of the extraordinary gemstones set into the crown. Among them is the Cullinan II diamond, a spectacular stone thought to be worth around £400 million on its own, as well as the historic Black Prince’s Ruby, one of the most famous jewels in the royal collection. Together, these legendary gems help explain why the State Crown is viewed not only as a symbol of monarchy, but as one of the most valuable pieces of jewellery in the world.
While this is the current version, there have actually been around ten different state crowns since the monarchy was restored in 1660, with each new sovereign typically having a crown remade or adapted to serve as their principal ceremonial piece after their coronation. While at a glance it may look similar, at the most recent coronation Queen Camilla did not wear the Imperial State Crown; instead, she chose a remodelled version of Queen Mary’s Crown, which was subsequently renamed in her honour. This decision was seen as a modern, environmentally conscious move, as it avoided commissioning a brand-new crown and reused an existing royal heirloom. The updated crown was also set with diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal collection, giving it both contemporary relevance and deep historical significance.
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