Prince Edward Designed His Wife's $35,000 Wedding Jewelry

Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward and Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie Wessex’s royal wedding on June 19, 1999, at St. George’s Chapel was a relatively simple affair without much of the usual pomp and circumstance. Although the celebration itself had more of a minimalist look and feel, there was one particular element that caught everyone’s eye: the bride’s wedding jewelry. Sophie accessorized with a black-and-white pearl necklace, complete with a cross-shaped pendant, and a matching set of drop earrings, which stole the show. 

According to Zack Stone, managing director of U.K.-based fine jewelry company Steven Stone, Prince Edward designed the pearl-studded pieces and gave them to his now-wife as a wedding gift, a purchase that cost him an estimated total of $35,000 to $30,000 on the necklace and $5,000 on the earrings, per Stone. The jewelry expert explains that Edward commissioned Asprey and Garrard & Co.—the same jewelers who were responsible for Sophie’s engagement ring—to create the matching set, which “adds to the sentimental value” of the jewelry, Stone says. 

The featured gem was also a significant choice. “Pearls have always had a connection with royalty, and Kate Middleton, Princess Anne, and Queen Camilla are regularly seen sporting the radiant gemstone,” Stone shares. The fine jewelry aficionado notes that the late Queen Elizabeth II often wore pearl accessories, and her daughter, Princess Anne, shares her mother’s affinity by frequently donning pearl earrings. 

Edward also likely selected pearls as the focal gemstone to complement Sophie’s wedding dress. On her special day, the bride walked down the aisle in a long-sleeved frock, made of silk crepe and silk organza and covered in 325,000 crystals and pearls, an ensemble that Samantha Shaw designed. Sophie completed her look with a cathedral-length veil of silk tulle and crystals and the Anthemion tiara from the collection of her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth.

After trading vows with Edward, Sophie changed into a reception gown that had a close resemblance to her big-day getup. The bride donned a long-sleeved, V-neck frock with a sparkly waist, which Shaw also designed. According to the designer, Sophie actually wore her second look beneath her wedding dress. “There was an evening dress under the coat dress, which was to remain super private for the evening dinner, and I had to get the fabric perfectly dyed to color-match the beautiful stone of St. George’s chapel,” Shaw told Tatler. “Getting up there without being noticed was fun and also a huge challenge.