When it comes to royal jewels, size matters – and Queen Elizabeth II is the owner or custodian of some of the largest and finest gems ever found. Think big this Jubilee year, like the Queen herself, with one of these supersized sparklers inspired by real royal pieces. Look to Graff or Harry Winston for giant diamonds, Adler or Boodles for supreme rubies and Tasaki or Mikimoto for palatial pearls.
Diamonds
Queen Elizabeth II
Tim Graham
At over 3,000 carats when mined, the celebrated Cullinan diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and named after Thomas Cullinan, the mine’s chairman. The stone was bought by the colony government in 1907 and gifted to King Edward VII, who had it cut and numbered from one to nine. Inherited by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the Cullinan I and II sit in the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and the Imperial State Crown, respectively, with III and IV set as a drop pendant brooch totalling 158 carats of near flawless quality. With an estimated value of £50 million, the brooch was spotted on Her Majesty at the 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
