Discover the significance of the royal’s Swan Lake Suite jewels, which are going under the hammer this June
Like much of her life, Princess Diana and her penchant for pearls was well documented. One of her finest jewellery moments happened on June 3, 1997: the princess attended a ballet performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in London wearing a pearl and diamond necklace that, together with her crystal-beaded blue minidress, made her a sparkling sensation.
The event marked one of Diana’s final public appearances before her accident less than three months later. In light of the tragedy, the “Swan Lake” necklace only glittered with even more intrigue.
The piece was created by Garrard, the official British Crown Jeweller at the time that was responsible for a treasure trove of the royal family’s jewels, including Diana and Prince Charles’s wedding rings. Unlike those jewels, however, the Swan Lake necklace was designed by Diana herself, in collaboration with Garrard president David Thomas. The custom necklace featured 178 diamonds—51 carats of them in total—and five perfect South Sea pearls. The princess also requested for a matching pair of earrings, which was only completed after her death. Together, the jewellery pieces were christened as the Swan Lake Suite.
Read more: A closer look at Princess Diana’s favourite jewellery
The jewels now sit high on the wish lists of collectors with a royal obsession. After all, the Swan Lake Suite was part of Princess Diana’s personal collection. It wasn’t just another heirloom created for one of Britain’s monarchs and loaned to Diana by her former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.
Like Diana’s famous revenge dress, the Swan Lake Suite was also a symbol of her empowerment following her very messy separation from Prince Charles. In the public eye, the once demure Diana transformed into a bold, confident woman who was taking charge of her life, unfazed by her ex’s affair. In fact, the Swan Lake Suite also marked a new romantic chapter for her: they were supposed to be a gift from Harrods’s billionaire heir, Dodi Fayed, who was Diana’s boyfriend at the time.
