How to get the Duchess of Cambridge's jewelry look

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Price William and Kate Middleton, attended the annual diplomatic receptions at Buckingham Palace on Dec. 3. Kate was seen wearing a royal tiara believed to be loaned to her by the queen. The stunning piece featured diamond fans toped with pearls. The tiara is a family heirloom and can be seen in photographs from as early as the 1930s. The design accurately captures the art nouveau look of the time. Kate paired the tiara with diamond chandelier earrings.

Diamonds and pearls

Many people would never consider mixing diamonds and pearls together. Both are opulent jewels in their own right, so combining them may feel like too much. However, diamonds and pearls can be expertly matched to create a look that is inspired by royalty. You can have fun mixing the two to make a custom jewelry piece that's completely unique, or you can design jewelry inspired by Kate Middleton.

Fancy colored diamonds can also be matched with pearls. The overall look you want will determine the right hue of your diamond. For example, for a classic design, choose white diamonds. Pearls No. 2 by the Brian Gavin team features white South Sea pearls surrounded by floral diamond ropes. To create a rich look, choose brown diamonds to match with an off-white pearl. The warm chocolate hue will look great for nice occasions. Design a necklace that alternates between pearls and brown diamonds.

The royal look

You can get the royal look featured in Kate's tiara without actually wearing a crown. Work with the Brian Gavin team on a custom jewelry design that features diamond fan patterns and pearls. The brilliance of the royal tiara is in the design. The fan shape looks like an open oyster shell, which is where pearls come from. The shape was used to tie diamonds and pearls together.

One way to get the look is with a pendant. Choose white gold or platinum to hold the diamonds. The metal should create the oyster shell look. Then dangle a single pearl from the rounded part of the fan. Make the pendant large and hang it from a long chain to make a statement piece.

Another way to match the look is by designing a bracelet. Repeat the shell pattern across your wrist using different diamond cut shapes. Lay a pearl in the center of each fan so that it looks like the stone is waiting to be harvested.