Semi-precious showstoppers

These statement earrings featured huge pear- shaped aquamarine stones, surrounded by tiny diamonds and dangling from pretty, flower-shaped diamond studs.

Diana wore them solely on overseas tours — most memorably with an elegant, pale- blue Catherine Walker gown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987 — and often added a tiara or striking necklace to balance them out.

she also owned a matching ring (see box, right), which she commissioned from Asprey shortly before her death.

she wore it at one of her last public appearances — the auction of her dresses at Christie’s in New York, in June 1997.