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Queen Elizabeth II was a style icon for all 70 years she sat on the British throne, and the monarch wore a huge variety of stunning jewels during her time. However, she did have her favourites, and at most of her engagements was spotted wearing the same two pieces.
The Queen rarely went without her signature three-strand pearl necklace, which was the epitome of elegance and timelessness.
Unsurprisingly, this was a piece of jewellery steeped in both sentimental and monetary value.
Queen Elizabeth II’s dad – King George VI – gifted his daughter with the beautiful necklace before his death in 1952.
She has worn it throughout her reign, with the pearls becoming almost synonymous with the monarch.
As well as being stunning in appearance, it allowed the Queen to connect to her father physically all those years.
Experts at jeweller Steven Stone spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about the glamorous piece.
Zak Stone revealed: “Queen Elizabeth has some of the most valuable jewels in the world, so it would be fair to assume that this three-strand pearl necklace and her earrings are made from natural pearls.
“Only a very small percentage of pearls used for jewellery are natural, with most of them being cultured.
“If these pieces are made up from natural pearls, they are going to be incredibly rare, not to mention valuable.”
Just one single natural pearl is worth around £3,000, according to the experts, which more than suggests that the whole necklace would be incredibly expensive to buy.
If one pearl is worth £3,000, the late Queen’s signature three-strand pearls “could be worth anywhere from £600,000 to £1,000,000”.
Fittingly, the pearls have had a transcendent legacy – much like the monarch herself – and have been passed down to an important relative.
Princess Anne was spotted wearing the pearls shortly after her mother’s death.
On October 7, the royal wore the famous piece to the reception for the English Speaking Union in New York.
She paired this with some pearl drop earrings, which echoed Queen Elizabeth II’s second favourite piece of jewellery.
In addition to the necklace that became almost part of her uniform, the late Queen was rarely spotted without a pair of button pearl studs.
These were reportedly a gift from the Queen’s grandmother, Mary of Teck, as a wedding present.
With the Queen marrying Prince Philip in 1947, the earrings became a huge staple for the monarch throughout her time on the throne.
Timeless and elegant, they complemented everything, particularly the three-strand necklace.
According to calculations by Zak Stone, this pair of earrings will be worth at least £6,000, if one pearl is around £3,000.
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