What Were Meghan’s “Something Borrowed” And “Something New”?
The brides choice was a tiara from the crown jewels and a brand new pair of earrings for the aisle.
Meghan Markle’s jewels have been a topic of much debate, as much as her wedding gown-and prior to today’s royal wedding ceremony, royal and fashion fans wondered if Meghan will wear some kind of tiara, and what jewelry she would accessorize with overall.
And we finally have the answer. And to go with her style in the past, Markle didn’t go with anything bold. The bride usually prefers daintier pieces, stackable rings and yellow gold (just like her engagement ring). With her simple and sleek dress, Meghan had tons of options when it came to jewelry for her big day, and many speculated much of her look would fulfill her need for “something old” or “something borrowed,” given that she was likely given the option to borrow anything she needed from the crown jewels.
Royal wedding gowns, as its the norm, requires a level of coverage that leaves little room for necklaces and bold cuffs-and Meghan’s gown didn’t fail in that regard. Per Catherine and Pippa, she chose subtle (yet jaw-dropping) earrings–but they were neither simple and sweet like Pippa’s nor more glamorous yet traditional like Kate’s. Instead, Markle went with the simplest option, opting for hexagonal studs from Cartier’s newest collection, paired with a diamond cuff from the same range.
Kate famously wore the Queen’s Cartier Halo tiara for her wedding as her something borrowed, and designed earrings for her gown with Robinson Pelham, a favorite jeweler of the royal family. Pippa Middleton also crafted her wedding day jewels with the brand, and even Harry choose Cleave and Company when it came to designing Meghan’s engagement ring. Given the couple’s connection with Cleave, it was expected that the couple could likely turn to them for her wedding day jewels as well, but in a plot twist, she chose to go with Cartier in the end. She paired her minimal jewels with a bold tiara, which originally belonged to Queen Mary.
Meghan is well experienced with shopping for jewelry and has a history with the Canadian-based Maison Birks from way back in her Suits days. The actress purchased seven pieces from the brand, including the Plaisirs de Birks Yellow Gold and Opal Earrings she wore for her engagement announcement, and their Snowflake Round Jacket Earrings, which she wore to the Queen’s Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace and to church in Sandringham on Christmas Day. Eva Hartling, the vice president of Maison Birks, spoke to People on what she thought Meghan would likely wear on her big day. “ I’m sure it is going to be refined and elegant… It will probably involve a simple pair of earrings that will bring out her natural beauty, she won’t overdo it.”
Just like her wardrobe, irks tows the line between Markle’s affinity for Canadian brands (due to her Canadian stylist, Jessica Mulroney, and her time spent in Toronto while filming Suits) and her new English home. The jewelry house was founded in the United Kingdom in 1879 and even received a royal warrant from the Duke of Windsor in 1935. While the warrant is no longer in place due to the brand’s move to North America, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and Princess Grace of Monaco have all worn pieces from the brand in the past, making it a perfect label for Markle to get behind.