Queen Elizabeth II was never shy when it came to offering up her pearls of wisdom – especially when it came to jewellery. The late monarch owned the most sensational collection of jewels – one of the largest and most decadent in the world.
READ: Princess Kate pays tribute to Queen with rarely-seen jewel
The Princess of Wales is one of many royals who have been inspired by the Queen's divine archive of precious gems and regularly dons jewellery that once belonged to the beloved monarch. She even paid tribute to the late royal through her choice of jewellery this week – did you spot it?
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During two outings, one to an army training centre to greet troops who will be taking part in the state funeral on Monday and another to view floral tributes at Sandringham, Princess Kate wore a pair of pearl drop earrings which once belonged to the Queen.
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Known as the 'Silver Jubilee Pearl Earrings,' the precious earrings featured a diamond stud attached to an oval-shaped pearl.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrincess Kate wore the Queen's earrings to meet troops at an army training centre
The late Queen most famously wore this pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings during her Silver Jubilee festivities in 1977. The Countess of Wessex is also a fan of the stunning drop gems and, like Princess Kate, has worn them to smart public engagements.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe mother-of-three also wore the gemstones while viewing floral tributes earlier this week
Princess Kate previously adorned the gems for her first solo foreign royal trip - a visit to the Netherlands in October 2016.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince William's wife looked beautiful in the precious pearls
Pearls are often referred to as 'mourning jewellery', a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria's era. After the death of her husband Prince Albert, the Queen famously wore black for 40 years and accessorised with either black or colourless jewellery, including pearls. The pearls were thought to represent tears, and she wore strands of them for the rest of her life.
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This tradition has been continued for many years, with pearls continually being worn by royal ladies when attending funerals. The late Queen Elizabeth herself wore pearls to Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and King George VI's funerals over the years.
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