Meet the jeweller that Meghan Markle adores

At 7pm tomorrow, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will tie the knot in a star-studded ceremony at St George’s chapel at Windsor Castle. Around 600 guests are expected to be present, while 2,600 specially selected members of the public have been invited to watch from outside. It has been reported that Elton John will be in attendance inside the chapel, though it hasn’t been revealed if he’ll be performing or simply part of the audience.

Of course, the question on everyone’s minds now is: What will Markle wear on her big day? Nothing has been revealed about her wedding dress yet, but we’re sure that she’ll look beautiful. As for her jewellery, we can’t help but wonder if she’ll borrow a tiara from the royal vault.

If her wedding rehearsal yesterday is anything to go by, though, Markle might just turn up in designs from her favourite jeweller, Birks. She was spotted arriving at Windsor Castle wearing the Canadian label’s Snowstorm earrings, which were set in 18k white gold with petal-like shapes encrusted in 2.15 carats of diamonds. Retailing at C$12,000 (S$12,574) at Birks’ online store, the earrings are currently out of stock.

Markle has been photographed in Birks’ creations on several other occasions. Last December, at the photocall to mark the official announcement of her engagement, she donned a dainty pair of its Plaisirs De Birks yellow gold studs adorned with white opals and fringed with tiny yellow gold beads. Unsurprisingly, the C$995 (S$1,043) jewels quickly sold out online when eagle-eyed fans identified them as a Birks design.

Another memorable Birks outing? Markle’s first Christmas with her royal in-laws later that month, where she looked chic in a Sentaler coat, Philip Treacy hat, and Birks Snowflake large round jacket earrings.

Each earring featured two clusters of diamonds, strategically assembled to resemble snowflakes. They are still available for purchase at C$5,995 (S$6,287) online, if you’re feeling inspired by Markle’s style.

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Birks may not be a household name in the jewellery world (yet), but it is by no means a newcomer to the industry. The brand was founded in 18779 by Henry Birks, and started out as a small jewellery shop in Montreal. It sold everything from rings embellished with coloured stones to lavish diamond pieces and ornate brooches. Items such as pocket watches and sterling silver trinkets were available too.

In the years that followed, Birks expanded its empire with more stores around Canada. It was also conferred a Royal Warrant of Appointment as silversmiths in 1934, a document that recognises its role in supplying goods to British royal households.

Today, the brand has built up an extensive repertoire of delicate and almost minimalist fine jewellery, alongside bridal jewels, sleek watches and personalised designs. It was made the official supplier of jewellery for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and other notable personalities who’ve favoured its creations include Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, who wore its jewels when she met with the Queen in 2015.

Markle is believed to have discovered Birks during her stay in Toronto, where Suits — the television series she previously starred in — was being filmed there. Clearly, that encounter left her very much enamoured with the brand’s jewellery pieces.

Will Birks’ elegant designs make another appearance tomorrow when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry? We can’t wait to find out tomorrow. In the meantime, we highly recommend grabbing a few jewels from the brand’s online store, before everything is sold out in the wake of this year’s most-anticipated royal wedding.

www.maisonbirks.com/en

(Main and featured photos: Getty)

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