Time and again, Kate Middleton turns to her impressive sapphire jewellery collection when dressing for royal engagements. Many of the pieces in Kate’s jewellery box once belonged to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, and the Duchess will often wear these gems to pay tribute to her memory. Express.co.uk takes a closer look at Kate’s sapphire jewellery, starting with her recently debuted double-drop earrings.

For the Platinum Jubilee edition of Trooping the Colour this year, Kate Middleton donned a pair of earrings that hadn’t been seen for decades.

The double-drop diamond and cabochon sapphire earrings she wore had previously been given to Princess Diana to mark her wedding in 1981.

Before Trooping, Kate had tended to wear a single-drop pair of sapphire and diamond earrings also thought to have come from Diana’s collection.

Kate also owns a matching necklace consisting of a large sapphire and diamond pendant suspended from a smaller one.

READ MORE: Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is rooted in famous royal love story

Perhaps the most famous item in Kate’s sapphire jewellery collection is her beloved engagement ring.

Estimates for the ring’s value vary around the six-figure mark, but to the Cambridges, the ring is undoubtedly “priceless”.

Claire Beatson, General Manager of lab-grown engagement ring brand, Nightingale, said: “Perhaps the most iconic piece of jewellery ever worn by Princess Diana was the 12-carat sapphire and diamond cluster engagement ring she received from Prince Charles which now sits comfortably on Kate Middleton’s ring finger.

“In the 1980s this beautiful piece cost around £30,000 to make, but today it is priceless.

Kate most recently wore these sapphire and diamond fringe earrings for the Christmas carol concert she hosted at Westminster Abbey in 2021.

The Queen is also a huge fan of sapphire jewellery, and she is often pictured wearing Queen Victoria’s Wedding Brooch which features a huge central sapphire.

Other royals who own sapphire engagement rings include Princess Anne, who owns a cabochon ring from Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and Princess Eugenie.

Princess Eugenie’s engagement ring is a cluster ring with diamonds surrounding a rare padparadscha sapphire with a pink-orange hue.