The 200-Year-Old Royal Jewelry Set That's Making A Comeback

Royal jewels fall into two distinctive categories: family-owned and state property. The Crown Jewels are state-owned gems, and lucky sightseers can feast their eyes on these incredible pieces at the Tower of London. With the family-owned sparklers, visibility is a lot more variable. Princess Diana's engagement ring has been highly visible after it was passed on to Catherine, Princess of Wales in 2010. Other pieces only make intermittent appearances. 

Although the Kent Amethyst Demi-Parure jewelry set has been in the family for 200 years, the captivating purple stones haven't had much time in the spotlight. Fortunately, Queen Camilla was instrumental in their comeback. In April 2026, she wore the set's necklace and matching earrings when she and King Charles III made a state visit to the U.S. 

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Even though the previous owner, Queen Elizabeth II, had 70 years' worth of opportunities to wear the bold Kent Amethyst necklace, it wasn't one of her go-to choices. Instead, Elizabeth's most treasured piece of jewelry was a three-strand pearl necklace, which was undoubtably much easier to style. In the rare instances when Elizabeth wore the Kent necklace and earrings, she paired them with the same lilac gown and white opera gloves. It's possible the pieces just weren't a natural fit with much of Elizabeth's wardrobe (although one of the Kent Amethyst brooches seemed to be a favorite in the late queen's collection). The necklace's length could have caused a conundrum with necklines too. If Camilla had worn the necklace the same way as her late mother-in-law, it would have hung over the edges of her V-neck gown. Fortunately, since some of the pendants are removable, it nestled in the space perfectly. 

The Kent Amethysts get their name from the first royal to own them: the Duchess of Kent. Although her husband, Edward, Duke of Kent, was a younger son of King George III, through some serious succession drama, the Kents' only child became Queen Victoria. The duchess was a big fan of the gems, and Victoria made sure they'd stay in the family.

While the set is also said to contain hair combs and two other brooches, for now, we can only wonder what those additional pieces look like. The combs might not work well with modern hairstyles, causing them to get passed over. However, it's curious that Queen Elizabeth II didn't wear the other brooches, given her apparent enthusiasm for brooches and the color purple.

Then again, the royal family often modifies jewelry to suit their needs, so it's possible these pieces are just waiting for an opportunity to be worn again. Alternatively, the modifications might already have been made. "I've read convincing arguments that the other two brooches from the set have been used to lengthen the necklace — explaining why only two of the amethyst 'links' in the necklace share the same shell design motif as the brooch," explained Lauren Kiehna on her blog, The Court Jeweller. Others agree with this theory, and it would go a long way toward explaining why two necklace stones are pointy and smaller, when the others are larger and rounded. Without those stones, the necklace might be a more of a choker style.

In the later years of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II's fashion followed a fairly consistent pattern: vibrant monochromatic coats and hats to stand out, her favorite pearl necklace, and an eye-catching brooch. On days when her ensemble was purple, one brooch from the Kent Amethyst set was a natural choice. To the casual observer, this versatile piece can look like two different brooches. Using gaps around the bottom edge, three smaller amethyst and diamond clusters can be added or removed, depending upon how big of a style statement the queen wished to make.

For a 1985 event in Portugal, Elizabeth pulled out all the stops, wearing the complete brooch, earrings, and necklace. However, in that case, Elizabeth's orchid-hued sash was a natural spot to position the brooch. In contract, with Camilla's 2026 revival of the gems, the brooch wouldn't have made sense with the bodice of her gown. Since Elizabeth reportedly had 98 brooches to choose from, it's impressive that this one made the cut so frequently over the years. While this could be due to her impressive range of purple-hued coatdresses, it also might have a sentimental component. Elizabeth and her mother had a tight relationship, and the Queen Mother wore the brooch as well.

In Camilla's case, it's possible she'll continue to show love for the Kent necklace and earrings. Camilla's worn plenty of amethyst jewelry over the years, and in May 2026, she wore the Kent earrings again, albeit with a different necklace. Camilla also re-wore another rarely-seen amethyst heirloom back in 2012, matching a purple velvet gown with the Queen Mother's heart-shaped amethyst necklace.