She owned diamonds from emperors, pearls from presidents, sapphires rescued from revolution, and gemstones that once crowned Europe’s greatest monarchs. Her vaults glittered with history.

But not every jewel that reached Queen Elizabeth II’s hands found favor.

Some were too theatrical.

Some too modern.

Others carried the wrong symbolism—or simply refused to flatter her famously disciplined style.

For a woman who valued elegance over spectacle, even the most breathtaking treasure could be declared “too much.” Here are the seven royal jewels Queen Elizabeth II disliked, avoided, or wore only when duty absolutely demanded it—and the surprising stories behind them.

 The Kent Amethyst Parure

A treasure of royal mourning—too heavy, too symbolic, and too somber for a modern queen.

Deep violet amethysts the size of plums. Gold, diamonds, hair combs, brooches, a grand tiara—the Kent Amethyst Parure is one of the most striking complete suites in the royal collection.

And Elizabeth II quietly disliked it.

The reason was simple: amethyst meant mourning. To the Queen, whose reign emphasized stability and continuity, the stones carried a funereal heaviness she avoided.

Yet its history is unmatched:

Worn by the Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria

Revived by Queen Alexandra and again by Queen Mary

Used sparingly by the Queen Mother during wartime austerity

When Elizabeth inherited the set in 1952, jewel watchers expected frequent appearances.

They waited decades.

She wore the complete suite only once, in Portugal in 1984. A few isolated state events followed, but the set never became part of her signature royal style.

Ironically, the Queen did favor one piece: the amethyst brooch, minus its pendant. It became a subtle staple—proof that even a disliked jewel can find a quiet purpose.

Will the towering Kent Amethyst tiara ever return to court life?

Perhaps—but only if the next generation embraces drama the late Queen avoided.

 The Japanese Diamond and Pearl Choker

Exquisite—but a shape she despised.

A gift of gratitude from the Japanese government, this 1970s choker—crafted by Garrard—features four rows of luminous pearls snapped together by a bold diamond clasp.

Elegant? Absolutely. Flattering? Not to Queen Elizabeth.

She loved pearls, but not chokers. Their high, tight shape cut off her neckline and clashed with her tailored gowns.

And there were…other complications.

After Princess Diana once wore a different royal choker as a dramatic headpiece, palace insiders whispered that the Queen found the gesture “attention-seeking.” Chokers became politically charged.

So she wore the Japanese suite only a handful of times:

Bangladesh, 1983

Canada, 1984

Diplomatic dinners in the 1990s

Beautiful—but always an outsider in her jewel box.

Today, however, the piece has a new champion: Catherine, Princess of Wales, who wears it with striking confidence, including at the Queen’s state funeral.

A jewel the Queen disliked—reborn for a new era.

The Five Aquamarine Ribbon Tiara

Dazzling. Modern. And in the Queen’s eyes—simply too theatrical.

Five enormous aquamarines set in diamond ribbons and bows. Eye-catching, dramatic, and curiously modern for a royal tiara.

Elizabeth II wore it once: in 1970, at a banquet in Yellowknife.

And never again.

Why?

It lacked pedigree.

It looked avant-garde.

And it paled next to her beloved Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara—a masterpiece of symmetry and royal grandeur.

After its single appearance, the tiara disappeared into storage for more than 40 years until revived by:

The Countess of Wessex (now Duchess of Edinburgh)

Queen Camilla

Even now, its future remains uncertain. If the Queen herself disliked it, can any wearer redeem it? Time will tell.

Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker

A Russian imperial treasure that suffocated the Queen’s sense of style.

On paper, this jewel is extraordinary:

Four rows of pearls

Twenty diamond bars

A detachable sapphire clasp

A provenance tied to Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, who escaped the revolution with it

Queen Mary treasured it.

Princess Anne adores it.

Queen Elizabeth II wore it once—and refused it thereafter.

Why?

Because chokers were her nemesis.

Restrictive, old-fashioned, and too theatrical for her streamlined silhouette.

This heirloom, dripping in imperial drama, simply didn’t fit the Queen’s minimalist sensibilities. It quickly passed into Princess Anne’s custody, where it became one of her signature jewels.

A royal treasure—just not her royal treasure.

Queen Victoria’s Wheat-Ear Brooches

Historically magnificent. Stylistically impossible.

Six wheat stalks in perfect mirrored pairs, crafted from hundreds of brilliant diamonds.

Exquisite, yes.

Wearable? Barely.

These brooches were simply too big for Elizabeth II’s taste. As a monarch who favored clean lines and balanced proportions, she found their scale overwhelming.

Their history is glorious:

Commissioned in 1830 for Queen Adelaide

Treasured by Queen Victoria

Worn boldly by the Queen Mother

Elizabeth II used them a handful of times, often to secure a sash. On rare occasions, she tucked them into her hair in place of a tiara—a creative solution, but not one she enjoyed.

Their most memorable modern appearance came in 2018, when she loaned three to Princess Eugenie for her wedding.

A jewel beloved by history—but never truly embraced by the late Queen.

 The Queen’s Peardrop Diamond Earrings

Too plain, too small, or too “Diana”?

Two perfect pear-shaped diamonds suspended from smaller stones—a classic design, subtle and timeless.

And yet Elizabeth II almost never wore them.

Why?

Some say they were too modest, overshadowed by her spectacular Coronation Earrings. Others whisper that after she lent them to Diana in 1983, she felt they “belonged” to the younger princess.

Diana wore them brilliantly—first in Auckland with the Spencer Tiara, then again days later with the Lover’s Knot.

After that, the earrings vanished into the vaults.

Not disliked, perhaps—just overshadowed by a brighter star.

The Queen Mother’s Cartier Bracelet Bandeau

An Art Deco masterpiece far too flashy for Elizabeth’s understated style.

Five dazzling diamond bracelets.
One ingenious frame that transforms them into a tiara.
Pure Cartier 1920s glamour.

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother adored them. She stacked the bracelets up her arm and wore the bandeau boldly during the roaring twenties and thirties.

Her daughter, however?

Not a bracelet woman.

Not a bandeau woman.

And certainly not an Art Deco maximalist.

Elizabeth II preferred a single bracelet at most—and even then, rarely. When the suite passed to her in the 1970s, the tiara form almost disappeared from public life.

Today, the bracelets shimmer again on Queen Camilla, restoring them to the spotlight.

A Queen’s Taste, A Queen’s Legacy

Queen Elizabeth II’s jewelry preferences were not dictated by extravagance but by discipline:

clean lines

classical shapes

historical resonance

and elegance without ostentation

The jewels she disliked reveal as much about her personality as those she adored. Some were too modern. Some too dramatic. Some carried emotional weight she chose to avoid.

But every piece—worn or unworn—remains part of the vast tapestry of monarchy.

And in the hands of the next generation, even the jewels she rejected may shine with new purpose.