Five Green Gemstones to Brighten Up Your Jewellery Box This Spring

Princess Diana was famous for her passion for jewelry, especially green gemstones. She frequently donned an art deco emerald choker when attending charity concerts and banquets as a nod to her maternal roots in India and her grandmother’s love of this color. Green has recently been making an impactful comeback in high jewellery such as Graff’s luxurious emerald bracelet or Cartier’s Tillandsia necklace featuring green beryl. We honor Princess Diana by featuring five pieces featuring this vibrant hue so as to bring some green into your jewellery box this spring!

1. Emerald and Diamond Choker

This lavish Art Deco emerald and diamond choker was first presented to Queen Mary as part of an Indian durbar (crowning ceremony of an emperor or empress) in 1911, before later passing to Princess Diana upon her marriage to Prince Charles. During Princess Diana’s royal tour of Australia in 1985 she experimented with it, wearing it as both a headband and pairing it with Spencer tiara and drop earrings from Corporation of London dinner in 1989.

Kate Middleton made a similar fashion statement this week when she paired a bold choker from Fairmined gold with an off-the-shoulder teal-green dress from fashion label HURR at an event celebrating sustainable technology and innovation. To fit with its theme, both pieces were constructed using recycled materials – fittingly the dress came from recycled sources while its counterpart came fashioned out of Fairmined gold!

As with Princess Diana, Middleton combined her choker with other green jewelry. These included her emerald and diamond drop earrings as well as matching rings. Middleton also wore an extravagant emerald bracelet designed by her sister-in-law Countess of Spencer with an oval emerald set within an elegant floral-inspired halo of diamonds encasing an oval emerald stone; it is inscribed ‘The Princess Diana’ to represent their royal couple’s commitment to sustainable development; currently available for PS6,900 at Sothebys.

2. Emerald and Sapphire Bracelet

One of Diana’s more well-known items from her heirloom collection was her sapphire and diamond suite, presented to her by Crown Prince Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia during her 1986 visit to Oman. This gift included a sapphire and diamond tiara suspended by a diamond feathers pendant, earrings that matched it, bracelet and watch. In addition, Diana also wore her emerald and diamond pendants as well as her Family Order of Queen Elizabeth pin for extra flair during this event.

3. Emerald and Ruby Bracelet

Princess Diana was an icon of glamour, so it should come as no surprise that she donned this ruby and emerald bracelet from her collection to an event in 1994. Engraved with “The Princess Diana” this five-row piece contains emeralds, rubies and pearls believed to have come from Burma.

This piece stands as a symbolic tribute to Princess Diana and John Spencer, 8th Earl of Spencer who died tragically at 43 in a plane crash. It is estimated to be worth well over PS1 Million today.