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The Top Ten: Meghan’s Royal Tour Jewels

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Now that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand has drawn to a close, it’s time to take a look back at some of the spectacular jewels that Meghan packed in her luggage for the trip. Here’s my list of the top ten pieces she wore abroad — be sure to let us know your list in the comments!

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10. Kiri Nathan Greenstone Necklace: This gorgeous traditional Maori necklace was given to Meghan on October 31 at Te Papaiouru Marae in Rotorua, New Zealand.
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9. Pippa Small Peepal Leaf Earrings: Meghan wore these golden earrings on October 25 for the unveiling of a new statue of Sergeant Taliasi Labalaba in Nadi, Fiji.
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8. Birks Muse Citrine and Diamond Earrings: Meghan brought out her lovely Birks diamond and citrine drop earrings on October 28 for a visit to Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, New Zealand.
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7. Diana’s Butterfly Suite: Butterfly earrings and a coordinating bracelet from the collection of the late Diana, Princess of Wales were Meghan’s choices for the October 16 visit to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. (See close-ups here!)
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6. Birks Cushion Cut Sapphire and Double Diamond Halo Drop Earrings: These lovely diamond, sapphire, and white gold earrings accessorized Meghan’s outfit for a reception at Sydney’s Opera House in honor of the opening of the Invictus Games on October 20.
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5. Emily Mortimer Nova Earrings: This lovely pair of white topaz and gold earrings were Meghan’s choice for a reception at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on October 30.
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4. Diamond and Pearl Earrings and Diamond Tennis Bracelet: Meghan wore a pair of royal gifts — the diamond and pearl earrings from the Queen and the diamond tennis-style bracelet from the Prince of Wales — on October 23 in Suva, Fiji. She also received the Sussex Strand, a new necklace of multi-colored pearls, during this engagement. (See closer views here!)
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3. Jessica McCormack Tattoo Diamond Pendant: For a reception hosted in Wellington by the Governor-General celebrating the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand, Meghan wore her jacket-style Birks diamond earrings with a necklace inspired by Ta Moko, a Maori art form. (More on the earrings here!)
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2. Diana’s Aquamarine Ring: For a state dinner on October 25 at the royal residence in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, Meghan wore a diamond bracelet and a favorite pair of earrings, the Snowflake Snowstorm design by Birks, with an aquamarine ring that belonged to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. (More on the ring from our earlier post here!)
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1. State Dinner Diamonds: Meghan wore a pair of stunning diamond earrings and a diamond bracelet on October 23 for a state dinner in Suva, Fiji. (Much more over here!)

Meghan Sparkles in Fiji

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal tour has moved from Australia to Fiji, where a formal program on the first day of their visit meant some exciting jewel moments for royal watchers.

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As the couple stepped off the plane, Meghan wore two familiar pieces of jewelry, both gifts from members of the royal family.

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Her diamond and pearl earrings, a gift from the Queen, were first worn during her visit to Chester earlier this year.

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The diamond bracelet on her left wrist is also one we’ve seen before. The press reported on this occasion that the bracelet was a gift from the Prince of Wales.

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And indeed, it’s the same bracelet that Meghan wore for a garden party in honor of Charles’s 70th birthday at Buckingham Palace in May.

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Here’s another view of the bracelet from its earlier appearance at the garden party.

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As a part of the official welcome, the First Lady of Fiji, Sarote Faga Konrote, presented Meghan with a lovely multi-colored pearl necklace. It was an appropriate gift, as Fiji is known for its pearls.

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For the evening’s state dinner in Suva, Meghan changed into a dramatic Fiji blue gown and a different suite of jewels.

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The showstopper accessories for the evening were definitely these dramatic diamond earrings.

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Here’s another angle. The earrings definitely made a statement, but the palace wouldn’t tell us their provenance. All the press materials revealed was that the earrings were “borrowed.” Some journalists naturally speculated that the Queen was the source of the loan, but I’m skeptical of that. She’s got a lot of jewels to pass around, but there are definitely other possible sources.

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In fact, as I was examining the earrings, the only royal jewel that came to mind as a similar piece was this grand ruby and diamond necklace from the collection of the Duchess of Cornwall. You’ll note similarities in the shape of the diamonds and the way the jewels are set. Camilla wore the necklace in February 2015 for the Royal Film Performance of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

I should be clear: I’m not suggesting that the necklace was broken up to make these earrings, and I’m not saying that the earrings were definitely a loan from Camilla. But Camilla’s jewelry box is certainly large, and it wouldn’t surprise me if a necklace like this had more than one pair of coordinating earrings.

Ultimately — we just don’t know.

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We also don’t know the source of this diamond bracelet. This isn’t the same bracelet she wore earlier in the day, and it’s not her Cartier wedding bracelet. Another mystery piece!

Diana’s Butterflies for Meghan in Sydney

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It’s been a big week already for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex: they’ve kicked off their first royal tour and announced that they’re expecting a baby next spring! And, perhaps most exciting of all, they’ve dug deep into the family jewelry vaults to bring out an heirloom surprise in Sydney.

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At Admiralty House in Sydney on Tuesday morning, Meghan stepped out in a white dress accessorized with earrings and a bracelet that belonged to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.

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The palace has confirmed that the pieces are from Diana’s personal jewelry collection. Here’s a good look at one of the butterfly earrings (which had a tendency to rotate a bit in Meghan’s ears, a typical issue with large stud earrings).

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Here’s a good close-up view of the earrings from today’s appearance.

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We also got a decent look at the bangle bracelet, also from Diana’s collection, as Harry and Meghan visited Taronga Zoo, where they met a baby koala named in Meghan’s honor.

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Here’s a closer look at the piece, which, like the earrings, appears to be made of gold, diamonds, and enamel.

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Meghan’s engagement and wedding rings were also visible during Tuesday’s daytime tour schedule.

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I’m not sure the Sussexes can top a pregnancy announcement and an outing of Diana’s long-hidden jewels for the remainder of this lengthy tour, but I’m looking forward to seeing them try!