The royal jewelry look for less comes down to a few pieces: Kate's gold leaf earrings, pearl drops with a sparkle on top, one serious sapphire-blue moment, the Queen's pearls, and Meghan's barely-there gold. None of that needs a crown-jewel budget. You need the right shape, the right color, and a finish you won't have to baby.
Below are the royal pieces people search most, what each original actually is (only what's been publicly reported), and the closest thing we make, almost all under $40. The pearls here are simulated (faux) pearls. The blue stones are cubic zirconia (CZ). The metals are stainless steel, sterling silver, iron or plated brass, and every entry says which one and what doesn't match. Prices were checked in September 2026.
Kate Middleton's leaf earrings: the easiest royal look to recreate
What she wears: Kate has worn leaf designs by British jeweler Catherine Zoraida for over a decade. In 2012, on the Diamond Jubilee tour, she wore the designer's double leaf earrings to meet the King of Malaysia. In April 2020 she wore the gold fern drop earrings (18ct gold-plated silver, about £165) on a video call with a primary school. Organic, gold-toned and medium-sized, they work with a blazer as easily as with a dress, which explains why they're still searched.
Meghan has a leaf moment too: she wore Pippa Small's gold peepal leaf earrings to the 2018 Fashion Awards. Leaves are one of the few royal motifs that go with jeans.
Our pick: Sterling Silver CZ Pave Leaf Dangle Hook Earrings — $32.99. The cleanest leaf silhouette we have: an open leaf with a veined center, outlined in small CZ, on hooks. The honest difference is color. This one is silver, and Kate's are gold. If you mostly wear silver, it's the better pick anyway.
Our pick: Iron Tri Tone Rose Gold Silver Gold Nested Marquise Leaf Earrings — $16.49. Three smooth leaf shapes stacked inside each other in gold, silver and rose tones. It's more modern and graphic than Kate's fern, with no stones, but you get the gold leaf drop for a small fraction of the price. Plated iron, so keep it dry.
Our pick: Silver CZ Leaf Pearl Drop Earrings — $17.49. A CZ-dotted leaf cluster on top and a simulated pearl hanging below. It's what you'd get if Kate's leaves and her pearl drops shared one pair. Silver-tone plated brass.
Our pick: Brass Gold Pearl CZ Pave Leaf Bypass Ring — $32.49. Two pavé leaves in gold-tone brass, each holding a simulated pearl, wrapping past each other. It's a statement ring, not a copy of anything Kate owns, but it's the most "royal garden party" piece on this list. Made in sizes 5–10 (most in stock). Check the ring size chart first.
Pearl drop earrings: Diana's Collingwood pair and Kate's version
What they are: Before her 1981 wedding, the jeweler Collingwood gave Diana a pair of earrings with a round diamond stud, a second diamond below it, and a diamond-set cap holding a pearl drop. Diana wore them constantly, including with the 1994 "revenge dress." Kate first wore them in July 2017 at the Spanish state banquet and has worn them to state banquets, Remembrance Sunday and her 40th-birthday portraits since.
A sparkling stud with a pearl hanging from it is the whole formula, and it's one of the most-copied pearl drop earring designs around.
Our pick: Brass CZ Graduated Triple Pearl Teardrop Drop Earrings — $23.49. Three CZ stones stepping down into an oval simulated pearl. Of everything we checked, this has the closest layout to the Collingwood drops: sparkle on top, pearl at the bottom, about the same length on the ear. Silver-tone brass. Ours has three stones where the original has a stud, a diamond and a bell cap. Kate also has a pair of double-drop pearl studs she's worn since a 2012 garden party, so if you want something shorter, the pearl button studs below are the daytime option.
Pearl studs: the Queen's everyday classic
What they are: Queen Elizabeth II paired her pearl necklaces with diamond and pearl button earrings inherited from her grandmother, Queen Mary. A round pearl with a small bright accent sat close to the ear, for decades, at nearly every engagement.
Our pick: Silver Pearl Round CZ Bezel Stud Earrings — $17.49. A flat-topped simulated pearl button in a silver-tone rim with a small square CZ beneath. The button shape is the Queen's. The small sparkle is our own addition. Silver-tone plated brass. If you want one pair of pearl earrings to wear with everything, start here.
Kate's pearl hoops (her most-worn pearls)
What they are: According to Dress Like a Duchess, Kate's Annoushka pearl and diamond hoops (small diamond hoops with a freshwater pearl drop) have been worn on over 70 occasions, which makes them her most-repeated pearl earrings.
Our pick: Stainless Steel CZ Pave Huggie Hoop Pearl Earrings — $22.99. A pavé CZ open hoop with a small simulated pearl at the end. The original's pearl dangles and ours sits at the tip of the hoop, but the pavé-plus-pearl mix is the same. It's stainless steel, so it's fine for all-day wear and won't turn your ears green.
Diana's pearl choker and the Queen's three strands
What they are: With the revenge dress in 1994, Diana wore a choker of seven rows of small pearls fastened with a large sapphire-and-diamond clasp given to her by the Queen Mother. The Queen's signature was a three-strand pearl necklace. She owned several, but her favorite was one she commissioned in 1952, with a diamond clasp, which she wore countless times during her reign.
Straight talk: we don't have a multi-strand pearl necklace under $40 in stock right now. Here's the one exception to our price limit, followed by two under-$40 ways to get the pearl-necklace effect.
Our pick: Brass Pearl CZ Triple Strand Choker Necklace — $94.99. Three rows of simulated pearls with CZ spacer bars, cut to choker length. It's not seven rows and it has no sapphire clasp, but it's the closest thing to Diana's collar-style pearls we make. Our only pick over $40.
Our pick: White Pearl Rose Gold CZ Ball Bead Necklace — $30.49. A single strand of small simulated pearls with a clear crystal drop. It's one strand, not three, so it's the everyday version of the Queen's look rather than the coronation version. It looks silver-tone in our photos, and stock on this one is low.
Our pick: Brass CZ Open Teardrop Pearl Drop Pendant — $32.49. A CZ-outlined open teardrop framing a single simulated pearl, on a fine chain. If strands aren't your thing, this gets the "pearls and diamonds" feel of the royal pieces in one small pendant.
Sapphire blue: Kate's drops, Diana's bracelets
What they are: Soon after the 2011 wedding, Kate started wearing yellow gold drop earrings with a faceted sapphire in a cluster of diamonds, which echo her engagement ring. Diana owned sapphire earrings too, with cabochon sapphires ringed by diamonds, and Kate has worn them in recent years after they spent decades out of public view. With the revenge dress, Diana also wore sapphire-and-diamond bracelets.
The ring itself, the famous oval sapphire halo, is covered in our celebrity engagement ring dupes guide. Here we're sticking to earrings and bracelets. One honest note: we don't currently have a blue oval halo earring in stock, so these picks go for the color and the drop rather than the halo.
Our pick: Brass Silver CZ Round Sapphire Pear Drop Earrings — $17.49. A clear round CZ stud with a deep blue pear-shaped CZ hanging below. "Sapphire" in the name means the color. The stone is blue cubic zirconia. The dark, royal blue is right, the drop is right, and the diamond halo is missing. Silver-tone brass.
Our pick: Sterling Silver Blue Sapphire Pear Stud Earrings — $24.99. A single sapphire-blue pear CZ in prongs, sterling silver. It's simpler than any royal pair, but it's the richest blue on this list and a well-stocked pick for navy, white or black outfits.
Our pick: Brass Gold Sapphire CZ Round Alternating Tennis Bracelet — $33.49. Blue and clear round CZ alternating around a gold-tone brass tennis bracelet. It's the classic sapphire tennis bracelet look for about the price of a nice lunch. Diana's were white metal, so this is a warmer take. The blue stones are CZ, not sapphire.
Kate's gold hoops
What they are: Kate's off-duty earring is a gold hoop. Kate Middleton Style counts about a dozen styles. One she's worn at least four times since 2021 is Sézane's Bruna hoop, which is gold-plated metal with small glass stones, not fine jewelry.
Our pick: Brass Gold Polished Classic Hoop Earrings — $13.99. Plain, polished, medium gold hoops, and the cheapest pick in this guide. Kate's Bruna pair has stones along the front and ours are plain, but for the everyday royal hoop, plain is the point. Gold-finish brass, so take them off for the shower.
Our pick: Stainless Steel Silver Polished Diamond Cut Medium Hoop Earrings — $16.49. If you're a silver person: stainless steel hoops with a diamond-cut texture that catches light like a row of tiny stones. They're waterproof and won't tarnish.
Meghan Markle's dainty, minimalist jewelry
What she wears: Meghan's everyday jewelry is small and quiet, mostly gold. Publicly identified pieces include diamond studs from the Canadian jeweler Birks, Catbird's Threadbare ring (a very thin gold band worn in a stack), and an Adina Reyter pavé teardrop necklace she wore in Sussex in October 2018. Individually they're easy to miss, and that's the look.
Our pick: Brass Gold CZ Round Brilliant Prong Solitaire Stud Earrings — $18.99. Round CZ studs in four gold-tone prongs. They're the simplest "diamond stud" look going, and you can wear them every day with everything else in this guide. Gold-finish brass.
Our pick: Brass CZ Pave Teardrop Pendant Necklace — $32.49. A small teardrop fully paved in CZ on a fine chain, the same shape idea as Meghan's pavé teardrop. Hers is gold and ours is silver-tone brass.
Our pick: Stainless Steel Gold IP CZ Round Prong Eternity Band Ring — $22.99. A thin gold IP stainless steel band set all the way around with small round CZ. Wear it alone or stack two, Meghan style. It's slightly more sparkly than a plain Threadbare band. Well stocked across sizes, and since steel can't be resized, check your size first.
Buying honestly: pearls, CZ and finishes
Simulated pearls are made to look like pearls: round, white and glossy. They're not cultured or freshwater pearls. Their coating is the delicate part, so put perfume and hairspray on before you put pearls on, and wipe them with a soft cloth after wearing.
Blue and clear CZ is cubic zirconia, a lab-made stone that's bright and hard enough for daily wear. Product names like "Sapphire" describe the color only.
Metals vary on this list, and we'd rather you know which is which: - Stainless steel (silver-tone or gold IP) is the low-maintenance choice. It's hypoallergenic for most people, doesn't tarnish, won't turn skin green, and handles water and sweat. Gold IP is a durable finish, but it's still a finish, not solid gold. - Plated brass, which is most of the pearl and sapphire-blue picks, looks great but has a less durable finish. Keep it dry and store it separately. - Sterling silver is bright and can tarnish over time. A silver polishing cloth fixes that.
FAQ
What brand are Kate Middleton's leaf earrings? Her best-known leaf and fern earrings are by the British designer Catherine Zoraida. The fern drops she wore in 2020 are 18ct gold-plated silver and cost about £165.
What pearl earrings does Kate Middleton wear most? Her most-worn pearl pair is reported to be Annoushka's pearl and diamond hoops. For state occasions she often wears the Collingwood pearl drops that were a 1981 wedding gift to Princess Diana.
What necklace did Princess Diana wear with the revenge dress? A seven-row pearl choker with a large sapphire-and-diamond clasp given to her by the Queen Mother. She wore it with the Collingwood pearl drop earrings and sapphire-and-diamond bracelets.
Why did Queen Elizabeth always wear three strands of pearls? Pearls were her signature from childhood. Her grandfather George V gave her a three-strand necklace in 1935, and her favorite was one she commissioned in 1952, which she wore for decades.
Are these real pearls and sapphires? No. The pearls are simulated (faux) pearls, and the blue and clear stones are cubic zirconia. That's how they come in under $40, and why we name them what they are.
Do you ship free in the US? Yes. Standard shipping is free on every US order, usually 3–7 business days in the contiguous US, and you can return unworn items within 30 days of delivery.
Want more of the look? Browse pearl and drop earrings, stud earrings, hoops and huggies or our vintage-inspired pieces.
All pieces are inspired by the jewelry described. None is affiliated with, endorsed by, or a replica of any jeweler, designer, or royal household named here, including Catherine Zoraida, Collingwood, Annoushka, Sézane, Birks, Catbird, Adina Reyter, Pippa Small or the British Royal Family. Royal jewelry details are drawn from public reporting.