A Royal Legacy Reimagined: Verragio Unveils Collections Inspired by Diana and Grace Kelly
In the world of high jewelry, inspiration is the most precious gem of all. It can be found in the shimmer of a moonlit ocean, the intricate geometry of a flower, or the timeless elegance of a person who captured the world’s heart. For its latest and most ambitious fine jewelry collections, renowned brand Verragio (Royal-inspired Jewelry)has turned to the latter, drawing from the enduring legacies of two of the 20th century’s most iconic royal women: Princess Diana and Grace Kelly. As Verragio’s creative director, Sophia Macris, sat at her design table, sketches came to life not just as renderings of gold and diamonds, but as tributes to these legendary figures. The result is two distinct yet equally captivating collections, Highgrove and Vesper, each telling a story of grace, glamour, and profound influence.
Debuted alongside the brand’s latest bridal collection, Lumino, and a new suite of men’s wedding bands at the prestigious Couture show in Las Vegas, these collections represent more than just new products. They are wearable narratives, invitations to connect with the fairytale and the very real humanity of two women who continue to fascinate us decades after their reigns.
The Highgrove Collection: An Ode to the People’s Princess
The very name “Highgrove” evokes a sense of pastoral romance and private refuge. It is the name of the idyllic country estate in Gloucestershire that the late Princess of Wales shared with Prince Charles during their marriage. It was here, away from the relentless glare of the public eye, that Diana raised her two sons, Princes William and Harry, and where her personal style, a mix of regal duty and down-to-earth warmth, was often on display. It is this duality—the princess and the person—that Sophia Macris sought to capture in the Highgrove collection.
The Muse: The Enduring Style of Princess Diana
“Diana Spencer still reigns as a style icon, nearly three decades after her death,” Macris reflects. “Her ability to captivate us speaks not only to the fairy tale we want to believe, but I think more to her kindness.” This sentiment is the emotional core of the Highgrove collection. Diana’s fashion evolution was a spectacle in itself, from the shy, slightly romantic ruffles of her early years to the sleek, confident power-dressing of her later life. She understood the language of clothes and jewels, using them not just for adornment but for communication.
The Highgrove collection channels this by incorporating design elements that were quintessentially Diana. Delicate bows and cascading ribbons, motifs she favored in both her couture gowns and her more casual attire, are expertly rendered in precious metal. These elements speak to her playful side, her ability to infuse a sense of fun and approachability into the often-stiff world of royal protocol. “There’s a sense of playfulness and fashion flair,” Macris notes, mirroring the spirit Diana projected.
The Inspiration: Highgrove’s Hallowed Gardens
While the muse was the woman, the aesthetic was drawn from her sanctuary. The Highgrove estate is famed for its magnificent gardens, a passion project of the then-Prince of Wales, who transformed the grounds into a haven of organic, sustainable beauty. These gardens are a living tapestry of wildflowers, sculpted topiary, and fragrant blooms. This natural splendor is directly translated into the jewelry.
The collection’s show-stopping collar necklace, for example, was consciously modeled on the tiaras Diana wore with such poise. But instead of a rigid, purely diamond-encrusted design, it features intricately carved gemstones. These stones, with their organic shapes and soft hues, are meant to “evoke the natural beauty found in the Highgrove estate’s impressive gardens,” explains Macris. Imagine a piece of carved pink chalcedony capturing the velvet texture of a rose petal, or a deep green tourmaline reflecting the shade of an ancient oak. This approach infuses the regal form of the tiara with the earthy soul of the garden.
Translating a Legacy into Wearable Art
With prices beginning at $2,000, the Highgrove collection—which includes rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces—is a masterclass in emotional design. Verragio celebrates Diana’s unparalleled legacy of “using her incredible platform to do good in the world,” and Macris believes this required a specific artistic direction. “So it’s appropriate that the Highgrove collection has a lot of warmth in it, particularly in the richness of the colored stone pieces,” she says.
One can see this in the signature Garden ring, a breathtaking piece in 18k rose gold. It features a stunningly carved pink chalcedony as its centerpiece, flanked by rich rhodolite and accented with half a carat of brilliant diamonds. The warmth of the rose gold complements the soft pink of the chalcedony, creating a piece that feels both luxurious and deeply personal—much like Diana herself.
The Vesper Collection: Capturing the Seductive Allure of Grace Kelly
If Highgrove is a sun-drenched English garden, Vesper is a moonlit cocktail party on the French Riviera, filled with intrigue and intoxicating glamour. For this collection, Sophia Macris turned her attention to another beloved princess, Grace Kelly, but with a specific lens: her final role as an actress in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 masterpiece, To Catch a Thief. It was in this film, just before she became Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, that Kelly immortalized a persona of cool, sophisticated allure.
The Scene: Fireworks and Intrigue on the French Riviera
Macris points to one of cinema’s most memorable moments as a direct catalyst for the Vesper collection: the iconic fireworks scene in To Catch a Thief. As Grace Kelly and Cary Grant stand on a balcony overlooking the glittering Bay of Cannes, a spectacular fireworks display erupts. The scene is a masterwork of subtext, with the explosions in the sky mirroring the blossoming, dangerous romance between the two characters. “There’s this seductive energy of glamour and danger intersecting that we tried to capture,” says Macris.
This duality is the very essence of Vesper. The collection, fashioned in brilliant 18k gold and dazzling diamonds, has what Macris describes as a “Jay Gatsby meets James Bond vibe.” It’s the opulence and romance of the Jazz Age clinking glasses with the cool, calculated sophistication of a secret agent. Cocktails, fireworks, and the crystalline beauty of grand Art Deco mansions all served as visual and thematic touchstones.
Forged in Fire: The “Gatsby Meets Bond” Aesthetic
The design philosophy behind Vesper was rooted in a concept Macris calls “wearable glamour.” The challenge was to take familiar jewelry archetypes and infuse them with a newfound sense of drama and elegance. “One of our guiding concepts for this collection was the idea of wearable glamour—ways to take a familiar piece, like a dangle earring, and elevate it to be more glamorous,” she explains.
To achieve this, the Verragio team delved into the world of luxury crystal. “We looked a lot at luxurious crystal patterns, took inspiration from the delicacy and intricacy of those shapes, like champagne coupes,” Macris reveals. This influence is visible in the clean, architectural lines of the pieces, the precise faceting of the diamonds that mimics the sparkle of cut crystal, and the delicate yet strong frameworks that hold the stones. The designs evoke the sharp geometric patterns of the Art Deco era, yet feel entirely modern.
The pieces in the Vesper collection, with prices ranging from $1,100 to $7,350, are designed to make a statement. They are for the woman who appreciates classic beauty but is not afraid of a little danger, who understands that true glamour has an edge. The rings, earrings, and necklaces are not just accessories; they are conversation starters, imbued with the cinematic tension of a Hitchcock thriller.
The Verragio Promise: Wearing a Piece of History
By launching Highgrove and Vesper, Verragio is doing more than just selling jewelry. It is offering an emotional connection to two of history’s most cherished figures. These collections are a testament to the idea that true style is timeless and that the stories of remarkable women can continue to inspire and empower. Available this August on the Verragio website, these pieces invite a new generation to discover the warmth of Diana’s legacy and the cool fire of Grace Kelly’s glamour, allowing them to carry a small piece of that royal magic with them, every single day.
