At some point in the late 1960s or early 1970s, the Queen acquired one of her very favorite brooches— this diamond and gold floral bauble. The piece was made for the Queen by Garrard, and tallying up the number of times it’s been worn over her reign would be a mammoth undertaking. It’s still one of her most frequently-worn brooches today.

At the beginning of her third decade on the throne, the Queen had acquired a few tiaras with colored gemstones, but none set with rubies. (The Oriental Circlet, an heirloom of the crown, had remained with her mother.) She remedied this by ordering a new tiara from Garrard. The rubies that went into the piece’s construction had been a wedding gift from the Burmese people in 1947; the diamonds were harvested from another wedding present, the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara. The new tiara, which is still worn occasionally today, features Tudor roses in its design.

During an official visit in February 1979, King Khalid of Saudi Arabia presented this classic Harry Winston diamond and platinum necklace to the Queen. It’s easy to see why she’s worn it often at gala events throughout the years; its design is balanced and beautiful. The Queen also lent the necklace to Diana, Princess of Wales during the 1980s.

This diamond and pearl brooch has been in the Queen’s collection since the 1980s, but nothing is known about its background. The trefoil shape of the brooch and the five pearls in its setting make it easy to spot among the Queen’s roster of daytime brooches.

This classic gold and diamond floral brooch has been in the Queen’s jewelry box since at least the 1960s. It features a single wild rose in a surround of leaves, and it’s been worn for garden parties, Commonwealth visits, and even a Christmas broadcast.

In 1965, an exceptionally grand diamond and emerald necklace was offered to the Queen by a pair of elderly sisters, the Godmans. They believed that it had once been owned by Empress Josephine of France. Although the connection to Josephine was eventually proven false, the necklace is a magnificent example of nineteenth-century design, and it’s easy to see why the Queen decided to add it to the royal collection. We don’t see this piece nearly enough today—it’s tough to wear with the gala necklines that the Queen prefers—and I’m hoping to see her lend it to another member of the family in the near future.

This modern ruby, diamond, and gold brooch was given to the Queen in 1966 by the Duke of Edinburgh. It was designed by British-Italian jeweler Andrew Grima, who also dreamed up jewelry for the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret. The Queen still brings this scarab-inspired piece out occasionally for events today.

The Queen received this suite of diamond, turquoise, and sapphire jewelry from a fellow monarch: King Hussein of Jordan. The set includes an intricate necklace and coordinating earrings. Unfortunately, the Queen rarely wears the demi-parure, although she has sometimes brought it out of the vaults at Jordanian-related events.

Another gift from a fellow monarch, this diamond and platinum necklace was presented to the Queen by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia during a state visit in May 1967. The piece was made in 1952 by Harry Winston, and it features 356 diamonds weighing a total of more than 83 carats. In the 1980s, the Queen lent the necklace to Diana, Princess of Wales, and in more recent years, she has also loaned it to the Countess of Wessex.