Diamond, the hardest natural material known, carries associations of endurance and longevity. These qualities, allied to the purity, magnificence and value of the stones, have for centuries led rulers to deploy diamonds in regalia, jewellery and precous objects. Individual diamonds have achieved great renown, passing down the generations and between enemies or allies as potent symbols of sovereignty and as precious gifts.

This spectacular exhibition at Buckingham Palace showed the many ways in which diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years. The exhibition included an unprecedented display of a number of The Queen's personal jewels - those inherited by Her Majesty or acquired during her reign. The exhibition revealed how many of these extraordinary stones underwent a number of transformations, having been re-cut or incorporated into new settings during their fascinating history.