Queen’s most expensive piece of jewellery and the lucky royal who wore it


The Queen has an incredible collection of gems and jewels, some of which are worth millions of pounds. Express.co.uk spoke to Steven Stone’s Creative Director, Maxwell Stone about the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace which is said to be the most expensive piece of jewellery within the Crown Jewels collection, and which royal has worn it. 

The necklace was  wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II, who at the time was then Princess Elizabeth, from the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1947.

Asaf Jah VII was the ruler (or Nizam) of Hyderabad, which is located in the south-central part of the sub-continent of India (which was then under British colonial rule).

Considered one of the richest men in the world, the Nizam bestowed an incredible gift upon the bride-to-be: he instructed Cartier to let her choose anything she wanted.

The then-Princess Elizabeth chose two pieces: a floral tiara, which included removable elements that could be worn as brooches, and a coordinating floral necklace.

As for how much the piece is valued at, the expert revealed: “This unique necklace is likely to be worth around £65million to £70million, making it one of the most valuable royal family pieces we’ve seen.

“The necklace was a wedding gift to Princess Elizabeth from the Nizam of Hyderabad, who was known at the time as one of the wealthiest people in the world.

“It is believed that the Nizam of Hyderabad requested Cartier allow Queen Elizabeth II to choose anything she fancied from their impressive collection of jewels. 

“The Queen opted for a tiara with three detachable flower brooches and what we now know as the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace,” he added. 

There are many other expensive items in the Crown Jewel collection. 

The Williamson Diamond Brooch is said to be worth a huge £25million. 

The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara is said to hold a value of £10million and Princess Eugenie wore it for her wedding in 2018. 

As for the own Queen’s wedding tiara, the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara is valued at £5million. 



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