Like the grand finale to an already-spectacular fireworks display, the best jewelry moment from the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle came at the very end, as the newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex departed Windsor Castle for the evening reception. The bride was flashing a cocktail ring set with a sizeable emerald-cut aquamarine by Asprey that had once belonged to the late Princess Diana, a gift from the groom that served not only as the world’s most glamorous “something blue,” but also a touching tribute to his beloved mother.
The ring was designed in 1997, the same year the Princess of Wales left us, adding an even more poignant layer to Harry’s gesture that reminded our industry’s royal watchers of the unspeakably precious nature of heirloom jewels.
A wave of reactions flooded Instagram within moments.
The leading London-based fine jewelry brand consultant, press agent, showroom director, and influencer Valery Demure waxed poetic, observing that…
…the power of jewellery is unique, I would compare it to the power of music but it is way more intense and intimate because jewellery sits on the skin, it does not float around to disappear. And the profound emotion one feels when being given and wearing a piece of jewellery that carries the story of another human being…. I love the enduring and complex magic of jewellery…. For me fine jewellery is not like a pair of jeans, it is special, it is pleasure, it is unique, it is magical, it is defining….
Via: @valerydemure
Others were moved to reach for their own treasured heirlooms. For Jennifer Gandia, the New York–based co-owner of Greenwich St. Jewelers, it was a cabochon rubellite ring that had been a 30th birthday gift from her late father: No one can tell me that jewelry is frivolous, or not valuable—it literally transmits the energy of the cosmos and Mother Nature, it lets you carry the memories of loved ones and the most important times of your life with you, ON YOU.
Via: @jennifergandia
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjA4EUGAA2o/?taken-by=katiecallahanandco
Via: @katiecallahanandco
Meanwhile, other jewelers and designers raced to their vaults or photo archives to post aquamarines (or in one instance, a 31 ct. green amethyst) that offered a close approximation to Markle’s bauble.
Via: @jeanjeanvintage
Via: @sunabros
Via: @jessicaardenjewelry
Via: @sidneygarber
Via: @thejewellerystudio
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjDeQ69n_P4/?taken-by=marketsquarejewelers
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjDxI07hM0b/?taken-by=jeffreydanielsuniquedesigns
Via: @jeffreydanielsuniquedesigns
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi-j8kvlZg-/?taken-by=langantiques
Via: @langantiques
As such, it might be a good idea to amend your JCK Las Vegas shopping list accordingly. Because the scarcity and prohibitive price tag of diamond tiaras automatically impede their ability to trend. But aquamarines, now thrust into the limelight thanks to a certain Stella McCartney–clad princess bride, might be the only tangible royal wedding takeaway to gain a foothold among the masses. And they’re available at every price point, too.
I’ll take mine in the size of a small swimming pool, thanks. (I mean, who wouldn’t?)
Top: The newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart the queen’s reception in a silver-blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero (image via @kensingtonroyal).
Follow me on Instagram – @aelliott718
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
