Catherine, Princess of Wales Once Had an Unexpected Stint as a Jewelry Designer.
You can nevertheless purchase the piece she designed all the way again in 2007.
Long earlier than she used to be the Princess of Wales—and even earlier than she used to be the Duchess of Cambridge, her first title upon marrying into the royal household in 2011 Kate Middleton used to be a rings designer, at least for a quick stint.
The future queen helped Claudia Bradby layout a necklace pendant lower back in 2007 which stays a bestseller for the manufacturer nevertheless today, People reported. The collaboration between Bradby and Kate was once for Junior Jigsaw, and it passed off three years earlier than Prince William popped the query to Kate in 2010. The piece, referred to as the Mother and Child Pendant Necklace, is a pearl necklace that got here about after Bradby—who knew Kate used to be at the time a client for Junior Jigsaw—wrote the 25-year-old a letter “saying that I would be very fascinated in working with her on a rings collaboration,” Bradby informed People. “I can nonetheless be aware the telephone going, answering it, and wondering it may be a prank!”
Kate was once very vocal about the kind of layout that she wanted, which covered having a “simple, smooth aesthetic,” Bradby said. The three charms on the necklace have been a silver nugget, a rose quartz, and a red pearl, and it used to be designed in the hope that a mother should purchase the piece for herself and her daughter “to put on together, which I notion used to be a stunning idea,” Bradby said.
Shortly after they collaborated, William and Kate broke up for a short stretch: “Looking returned on it now, it should have been a loopy scenario for her to be in, to be having a relationship with the future inheritor to the throne, and this was once her first ever job out of university,” Bradby said. “It felt ordinary at the time, and there used to be simply no signal of the strain she have to have been under.”
Bradby stated Kate’s “ability to recognize discretion” as a “key fantastic that has served her nicely all these years later.”
“She is for sure a very stunning and placing woman, however you recognize how some human beings can occupy a lot of area and some humans go quietly?” Bradby asked. “I be mindful questioning she had a charming and quiet nature about her.”
“It used to be interesting to get a huge manufacturer like Jigsaw stocking my jewelry, and to have this introduced sprinkle of magic working with anyone related with the royal household it used to be wonderful,” she added.
Though the necklace has advanced given that its concept in 2007—it now elements two charms alternatively of three—it can nonetheless be bought and retails for about $182.
Kate Middleton’s Unexpected Role in Jewelry Design.
Yes, Kate Middleton, now known as Catherine, Princess of Wales, did indeed have a brief but notable stint as a jewelry designer in 2007, during her early career before marrying Prince William. At the time, she was 25 years old and working as an accessories buyer for Junior Jigsaw, a youth-oriented line of the British fashion retailer Jigsaw. This collaboration came about when British jewelry designer Claudia Bradby, who had recently launched her eponymous brand from her kitchen table in 2002, reached out to Kate with a proposal for a joint project. Bradby initially thought the subsequent phone call from Kate was a prank, but it led to a creative partnership that produced a timeless piece still popular today.
The Design Process and the Necklace.
Kate was very hands-on with the design, specifying her vision for a sentimental, versatile necklace that mothers could buy for themselves and their daughters to wear together. She emphasized a “simple, clean aesthetic” and contributed ideas for the charms. The result was the Mother and Child Pendant Necklace, a chic silver chain featuring three delicate charms: a silver nugget, a rose quartz stone, and a pink pearl. The pearl element, in particular, reflected Kate’s emerging affinity for pearls, which have since become a staple in her royal jewelry collection—often symbolizing elegance and tradition.
This project was stocked by Jigsaw, giving Bradby’s fledgling brand a significant boost. Bradby later described working with Kate as “easy and straightforward,” praising her “quiet nature” and “discretion” amid the media scrutiny of her relationship with William. The necklace quickly became a bestseller for the Claudia Bradby brand and remains available for purchase today, retailing for around £145 (approximately $182 USD). Over the years, it has evolved slightly—now featuring two charms instead of three—but retains its original charm-focused design.
The Timing and Personal Context.
The collaboration occurred in early 2007, right around the period when Kate and Prince William briefly broke up in April of that year (they reconciled later that fall). Bradby reflected that this must have been a “crazy situation” for Kate, who was navigating intense public attention while in her first full-time job after graduating from the University of St. Andrews. Despite the personal turbulence, Kate’s involvement added a “sprinkle of magic” to the project, as Bradby put it, due to her association with the royal family. The necklace’s theme of mother-daughter bonding may have foreshadowed Kate’s future role as a mother to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as she has since favored personalized jewelry with their initials.
Legacy and Kate’s Broader Jewelry Influence.
This stint was unexpected because Kate’s pre-royal career was more focused on fashion buying than design, but it showcased her eye for accessible, meaningful accessories. The piece has been worn by other celebrities like Helen Mirren and Sam Smith, and its enduring popularity underscores the “Kate effect”—her ability to elevate items into must-haves. Bradby, now celebrating 25 years in business, credits the collaboration with helping establish her brand and notes Kate’s ongoing love for pearls as a “power and status symbol” that suits her understated elegance.
Kate has never pursued jewelry design professionally since, but this one-off project highlights her early creative input in the fashion world. If you’re interested in owning a piece of this history, the Mother and Child Pendant Necklace is available directly from Claudia Bradby’s website.
Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet
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