Manchester’s oldest jeweller honours Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 100th birthday with a spotlight on her most famous jewels.
Manchester, UK. 15th April 2026 – Hancocks Jewellers, Manchester’s oldest jeweller, has honoured what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday by publishing a new editorial feature celebrating the Queen Elizabeth II jewellery collection, and the moments she wore its best-known pieces. The tribute has been released today, in the run up to marking the late Queen’s birth date.
The feature draws on the way the Queen used jewellery throughout her reign, not as decoration, but as part of the story. A brooch chosen for a service watched by millions. A tiara reserved for state occasions. Earrings that became a signature for the most formal evenings. Each piece is presented with its real-world context, so readers can understand not only what the jewel is, but why it mattered.
The Hancocks Jewellers edit highlights four jewels from the Queen Elizabeth II jewellery collection that remain instantly recognisable in photographs and public memory.
Highlights include, The Cullinan III and IV brooch, “Granny’s Chips.” A historic pairing of diamonds worn for major national moments, including the Diamond Jubilee service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, and later for a Dutch state visit banquet at Buckingham Palace.
The Brazilian Aquamarine Parure Tiara, a confident, cool toned statement, commissioned to complete the aquamarine suite, and last photographed on the Queen at the Spanish State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2017.
The Greville Chandelier Earrings, a deeply personal jewel that became part of the Queen’s evening jewellery language, worn early in her reign for the Royal Variety Performance, and revisited across later decades.
The King George VI Victorian Sapphire Suite, a sapphire suite tied to family, duty, and the Queen’s most enduring colour signature, seen at high profile engagements from her early years through to her official Canadian portrait.
Roy Lunt, owner of Hancocks Jewellers, said: “So many people remember where they were when they saw certain photographs of the Queen. Her jewellery is part of those memories. This edit is our way of honouring her, by sharing the pieces that helped define the look of a reign, and the moments in which they were worn.”
ENDS