The Duchess of Cambridge is known for wearing budget-friendly pieces, such as the $35 Zara necklace she rocked at the premiere of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
In February 2014, though, the lovely princess opted for something a little grander because she is, after all, entitled to those royal jewels.
Kate Middleton dazzles in the Queen’s Nizam of Hyderabad necklace, the most expensive royal jewel, at the Portrait Gala 2014 in London on February 11, 2014 (Credit: WENN)
For her first royal engagement of the year, Kate attended the National Portrait Gallery gala wearing a gorgeous floor-length Jenny Packham gown.
Close-up of Kate Middleton wearing the Queen’s exquisite Nizam of Hyderabad necklace (Credit: WENN)
The dress was beautiful, but all eyes were on her necklace — the Queen’s Nizam of Hyderabad necklace.
Kate Middleton shines in a stunning blue Jenny Packham gown and Jimmy Choo platform pumps (Credit: WENN)
The necklace, believed to be the most expensive jewel in the Queen’s collection, was a wedding gift from an Indian monarch named Nazim to the Queen. Its value is likely around $80 million.
Kate Middleton’s elegant silk tulle dress from Jenny Packham’s Autumn Winter 2013 collection (Credit: WENN)
The drool-worthy jewelry piece, made by French luxury goods conglomerate Cartier, has 38 diamonds, a detachable double-drop pave pendant made of 13 emerald-cut diamonds and a pear-shaped center.
The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace, a precious wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II (Credit: WENN)
Below is a clearer view of the necklace that is described by Hugh Roberts, the former Director of the Royal Collection and Surveyor of The Queen’s Works of Art, as a “pavé-set center with detachable double-drop pendant incorporating 13 emerald-cut diamonds and a pear-shaped drop; the chain of 38 brilliant-cut open-back collets with an elongated oval brilliant-set snap.”
The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace was a gift from the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1947
You can feel like a princess, too, with the following lovely alternatives:
Adia Kibur Short Crystal Necklace, $65
Juicy Couture Brillant Blooms Gemstone Drama Necklace, $178
Kate Spade New York Estate Garden Statement Necklace, $348
Kate Middleton’s gorgeous silk dress is unfortunately no longer available online:
Jenny Packham Silk Gown, €4,059