Sophie, Countess Of Wessex, Taking After Princess Diana, Owns $315K Brooch

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, takes after Princess Diana’s fondness for a particular stone.

Prince Edward’s wife is fond of aquamarine jewelry, which is among Princess Diana’s favorites. In fact, she owned a $315,000 brooch with this gem.

“This Art Deco design brooch favoured by the Countess of Wessex features a large emerald step-cut aquamarine of intense sea blue colour surrounded by diamond and set within bands of blue and green enamel,” Ailsa Russell, Appraiser Prestige Pawnbrokers of Channel 4’s "Posh Pawn," told Express.

The Countess of Wessex debuted the brooch at the wedding of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco in July 2011. Since then it became a staple to her outfits and has been spotted many times at Royal Ascot.

“The impressive brooch is a jewellery staple for the Countess and as such could reach £250,000 at auction,” Russell continued.

Aside from this, Sophie also owns a bright blue aquamarine ring that is almost identical to Princess Diana, which is now worn by Meghan Markle.

Aquamarines have grown increasingly popular among members of the royal family in recent years. Most aquamarines are greenish blue, but the more intense and saturated the blue color, the rarer the stone and the more expensive they are.

Sophie is reportedly Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite royal. Aside from her favorite aquamarines, she has a $1.3 million tiara in her collection, the “Canadian Aquamarine Tiara.” It was named as such because Queen Elizabeth II wore it when the monarch made a state visit to Canada in 1970. The headpiece is a high sitting tiara with floral and ribbon motifs set with diamonds and large aquamarines.

Sophie’s other favorite tiara also features the same gem, the Aquamarine Necklace Tiara with an estimated amount of $6 million. The said headpiece features diamond set wave motifs with a large oval cut blue-green aquamarine in the center.

In related news, Sophie just received new patronage. Prince Philip handed to her, the patronage of Chartered Management Institute (CMI). The royal family announced this on Twitter.

A number of netizens were very happy with the announcement because they believed that it was well-deserved. Sophie is an active supporter of the UK industry and is the founder and chair of the Women’s Network Forum, an organization dedicated to promoting women’s success.