It’s natural that Lady Kitty Spencer and her twin sisters, Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, are often compared to their late aunt, Princess Diana—but that doesn’t mean everything they wear is a deliberate tribute. Diana might’ve worn an off-the-shoulder red gown in 1992, but Kitty stepped out in a version that was all her own at the British Museum Ball on October 18.
Earl Spencer’s eldest daughter, 35, wore a bold Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda dress along with a dramatic matching cape as she posed outside the London-based museum. Like the dress Diana wore, Kitty's satin design featured an off-the-shoulder neckline, but the comparisons to the late royal end there.
Kitty accented her outfit with a massive diamond necklace by Chatila Jewels—a move jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia calls "a confident choice with an already dramatic dress."
Rakholia, founder of U.K. jeweler Abelini, says the necklace gives "the whole look a very grand, almost regal quality" and "the appearance of lace" with its openwork setting.
"A solid necklace of that width could look quite heavy, whereas here you can appreciate the pattern against her skin," he adds.
When reflecting on the valuation, Rakholia says, "Assuming natural diamonds set in platinum or 18-carat white gold, I’d tentatively estimate the choker at around £100,000 to £250,000 at retail."
Kitty, Amelia and Eliza frequently wear statement pieces by family-owned jeweler Chatila, and the eldest Spencer sister paired her necklace with matching diamond cluster earrings by the brand rather than going for a more dramatic drop.
“With a broad choker, the earrings need careful consideration," Rakholia says. "If they hang too low, the pieces can crowd one another around the jaw. Here, there’s enough separation to appreciate both.”