Meghan Markle's jewels were as anticipated as her wedding gown–and prior to today's royal wedding ceremony, royal and fashion fans wondered if Meghan had landed on a potential tiara, and which jewelry she'd accessorize with.
Asked and answered. As per her style in the past, Markle did not opt for anything bold. The bride typically prefers daintier pieces, stackable rings and (like her engagement ring) yellow gold. Given that Markle's dress was simple and sleek, she had countless ways she could have approached her jewelry for the 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.
Typically, royal wedding gowns require a level of coverage that leaves little room for necklaces and bold cuffs–and Meghan's gown followed suit. 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 the simplest route, choosing 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, while Harry opted to visit Cleave & Company when 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 she chose to work with Cartier in an unexpected styling turn of events. She paired her minimal jewels with a bold tiara, which originally belonged to Queen Mary.
Meghan's no stranger to shopping for jewelry, and has worn the Canadian-based Maison Birks since 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.”
Like much of Markle's wardrobe, Birks 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.
While Meghan opted for French houses for the aisle–choosing both Givenchy and Cartier for the aisle–her style choices when wearing both brand point to a penchant for anything simple and elegant, and in a slightly more modern way than we'd expect to see at a royal affair.
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Carrie Goldberg is HarpersBAZAAR.com’s Weddings & Travel Director. She oversees the site’s BAZAAR Bride channel, travel & dining content, and styles fashion and bridal editorials for BAZAAR.com. When she’s not traveling, she spends her free time in her hometown–New York City–where there is no shortage of new places to shop, eat, drink, see and explore.
