Princess Diana’s Modern Ruby and Diamond Earrings

In the 1990s, Diana could often be spotted wearing a pair of modern ruby and diamond earrings with two different pendant options. The stud of the earring features a diamond ribbon hugged by rubies on either side. Diana most often wore the earrings with classic pear-shaped pearl pendants, but they could also be worn with ruby and diamond tassels.

Diana almost always wore the earrings with clothing in shades of pink and red. Here, for a performance by the Welsh National Opera in Tokyo in November 1990, she wears the earrings with a classic red evening gown.

In November 1991, Diana wore the earrings with a red and gold gown for the premiere of the film Hot Shots at the Odeon in Leicester Square. She also wore her seed pearl choker necklace, which has ruby and diamond spacers.

Diana wore the earrings with a single strand of pearls and a bright pink gown with a red lace overlay in December 1991 for a reception at London’s Royal School of Music. The event followed the annual “Joy to the World” Christmas spectacular at the Royal Albert Hall.

In November 1992, Diana wore the earrings with the pearl pendants and a red velvet dress for a performance of Paul McCartney’s classical Liverpool Oratorio at the Lille Congress Hall.

Here’s a closer look at the earrings from the concert in Lille. You’ll notice that sometimes Diana wore the stud portion of the earrings with the diamond ribbon in a vertical position, but more often, as she does here, she wore the stud portion positioned at an angle.

Diana also wore the tassel setting of the earrings on occasion. She paired the tassel version with a red tank dress for an official dinner in Paris in September 1995.

And in November 1995, she wore the tassel setting of the earrings with a red lace dress for a dinner in Buenos Aires.

The ruby and diamond earrings haven’t been worn in public since Diana’s death, but the pearl drops that she wore with the earrings have taken on a new life in the collection of her daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate wears the pearl drops with Diana’s horseshoe and laurel wreath earrings. Here, she sports the combo at Royal Ascot in June 2022.