The Earring Styles of the Princess of Wales

Catherine Middleton was made the Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, in a wedding watched around the world, and is now the Princess of Wales. She's been in the spotlight since 2006, and her effect on worldwide style and fashion is called "the Kate Middleton effect."

From evening gowns to business suits, the effect remains: if the Princess of Wales wears your brand, it's going to sell, sell, sell. This includes jewelry and styles similar to what she wears. It's simple to make your own versions of her popular baubles.

While Queen Elizabeth frequently granted access to a range of brooches, bracelets and tiaras for official events, Kate has always had stylish jewelry of her own.

She doesn't often wear rings other than her engagement ring and wedding bands. Bracelets and necklaces are also rarely seen. What she's known for are her earrings. From everyday pieces to sparkling treasures, women around the world want Princess Kate's earrings.

One of Kate's favorite jewelry designers is Kiki McDonough. The Princess owns at least a dozen of the designer's pieces, in a range of colors.

McDonough is well known for her use of colored gemstones in simple yet elegant designs. Her gemstone selections tend to be high-quality stones in uncommon materials, such as morganite, citrine, blue topaz and pink tourmaline.

Other designers Kate owns include Balenciaga, Cartier, Oscar de la Renta, Asprey London, Azuni, Links of London, Kate Spade, Wolf and Badger, Simone Rocha, Mappin and Webb, Annoushka, Cathering Zoraida and Monica Vinader.

You can easily create your own versions of Princess Kate's earrings.

Kiki McDonough-Inspired

Kiki McDonough's earring designs include both post and leverback styles, set with diamonds encircling a colorful gemstone, creating what’s known as the “halo effect.” The pendants match or coordinate, using the same construction as either post or drop on a fine matched metal chain.

• Post Earrings with Drops

Colorful gems, Crystal Passions® crystal flat backs or cubic zirconia stones surrounded by a ring of sparkling cubic zirconia or rhinestone-set cupchain.

• Almost Instant Jewelry® earring findings
• 12mm round or 13x18mm oval center stone of your choice
  
• Colorful faceted gems and cubic zirconia stones
• Cabochons
• Crystal Passions flat backs
• Using glue or Apoxie® Sculpt, place center stone.
  

• Leverback and hoop earrings

Kiki McDonough's leverback and hoop styles are designed to use interchangeable drops. You can do the same or make the style choices permanent.

• Choose your favorite leverback style or hoop style with cubic zirconia accents
  
• Choose an unset or set gemstone drop to hang from the loop
  
• Add a jump ring. If the attachment is temporary, choose a jump ring large enough to slide over the earring finding; if the attachment is permanent, choose a jump ring small enough to not detract from the design.

Kate's Pearls

Kate has a selection of different brands and styles of pearl earrings in her personal jewelry collection. The pair of earrings by Balenciaga, which also includes a necklace and cocktail ring, is one of her favorites, judging by how often she wears it.

• Balenciaga Earrings

Recreating the look of Kate Middleton’s large, understated pearl earrings requires earring settings and cabochons. While the original set is silver in tone, you can achieve the look with any shade of metal you prefer, from gold and silver, to copper or gunmetal. You can choose acrylic pearls or shimmering mother-of-pearl for a more authentic look.

• Oscar de la Renta Sun Star
This "sunburst" pair of post-style earrings can be recreated using head pins, seed beads and cabochons with Apoxie Sculpt:
• Flat pad earstud components
• 10mm round center cabochon
  
• Using glue or Apoxie Sculpt, place center stone
• Thread golden seed beads
• Stick non-ball ends into Apoxie under cabochon

• Annoushka Teardrops

  These are probably the easiest to recreate. They're designed to slip over leverbacks or hoops.

  • Get your favorite half-drilled teardrop bead
  • Glue in an upeye
  • Add a large jump ring, sized to thread over the earring finding

Other Earring Styles

• Monica Vinader Wire Earrings

  This pair of earrings is the easiest to replicate from her entire collection. They are also one of the few pairs she regularly wears that are not post-style earrings. While her earrings are in gold, you can opt for silver, if you prefer that metal.

• Green onyx drops
  
• Hook-style ear wires
  
• The original pair doesn't have jump rings, but you can use them if you need to

• Simone Rocha Beaded Drop Earrings

  Our jewelry makers have created their own version of this zigzag beaded drop style. The originals are made using faceted glass rounds, but you can choose Preciosa or sparkling Crystal Passions crystal instead.

• Faceted round beads in a range of sizes—which this design needs

• Ultra-fine FireLine® thread

• Earring findings

• Wolf and Badger Leaf Drop Earrings

  These gold earrings feature long leaf charms with a brushed texture, but they’re not the princess’s only leaf earrings. Kate has a variety of earrings that suspend delicate leaves from her lobes, so be creative. Include one leaf or many, and play with different metals for diversity.

• Marquise leaf charms
• Or, make your own using metal sheet
• Add your choice of hook-style ear wires
• Attach with matching jump rings

• Sézane Disc Earrings with Dangles

  Rumored to have been a gift from her husband, Kate’s gorgeous Sézane earrings can be emulated by beginning with any large round earring finding with loops and suspending multiple chains of glittering crystal droplets from it.

• Crystal Passions beads
• Metal drops with loops
• Jump rings
• Ear studs

Ever since she entered the public eye, the Princess of Wales (aka "Kate Middleton") has been the focus of the fashion world for her style. Her classic and elegant jewelry choices can insipire knowledgeable and skillful jewelry makers to create for themselves or for their customers.