Meghan wears $460,000 festive sparklers for Netflix Christmas special

Meghan Markle is ringing in Christmas with crackers, gougères, and lots of bling – in the form of jewellery worth more than $460,000 in her brand new Netflix special.

The latest instalment of With Love, Meghan was released this morning and follows an exuberant Duchess of Sussex, 44, as she gets into the holiday spirit with her husband, Prince Harry and her California-based friends.

In addition to her trusty Cartier love bracelet, Princess Diana’s watch and her stack of diamond wedding bands, it seems the former Suits actress has acquired a couple of tasteful new pieces – including two glittering pairs of diamond earrings.

As Meghan decorated the tree, a pair of Cartier’s exquisite, two-carat ‘Destinee’ earrings costing an estimated $66,460, twinkled under the Christmas lights.

Meghan also picked out a pair of previously unseen diamond studs for her meeting with Top Chef star Tom Colicchio, as he joined her and Prince Harry for a bowl of gumbo.

These are believed to be the quirkily-named ‘Your One of a Kind’ earrings from ethical jewellery brand Brilliant Earth, and the one-carat pair seen on Meghan is worth $1,448.

Despite getting stuck into mixing raw chicken to make the dish, Meghan kept her stack of bracelets and her rings on – even after being critiqued for preparing a Thanksgiving turkey in the same fashion last week.

The third addition to her jewellery drawer was a pair of golden hoops from Toronto-based label Mejuri that are priced more modestly at around $835 as compared to the 18K white gold Cartier studs, with a halo of diamonds to complement the central rock. 

The lifestyle series sees Meghan recreate some of her favourite recipes, with the Duchess making her mother Doria Ragland’s famous Gumbo stew for Mr Collichio and Harry. 

However, Meghan’s decision to skip gloves or take off her jewellery while working with raw chicken and shrimp might be off-putting for some viewers. 

The Duchess was, last week, called out for the ‘unsanitary’ culinary mistake as social media users suggested it could increase the risk of cross-contamination and spread harmful bacteria like salmonella.

Eagle-eyed royal watchers will know that the rest of Meghan’s accessories are all old favourites – from Princess Diana’s invaluable Cartier Tank Francaise watch and her Jennifer Meyer tennis bracelet to her $160,000 engagement ring from Prince Harry. 

She also donned her signature Cartier Love bracelet that is crafted from 18-carat gold and believed to be worth $9,370. 

The bracelet’s screw motif symbolises eternal love, with a unique closure that locks around the wrist, representing lasting commitment.

Another piece of jewellery that Meghan is rarely seen without is her Lorraine Schwartz pinky ring that, like her new Cartier earrings, costs an eye-watering $74,434. 

The 3-carat emerald-cut diamond, known for symbolising stability and strength, is particularly fitting for Meghan, who has faced numerous challenges since she and Harry decided to step back from royal duties. 

While there have been rumours suggesting the ring was a gift from a mysterious Middle Eastern donor, its exact origin remains unconfirmed.

The Duchess’s delicate ‘Mini Bezel’ tennis bracelet was also, unsurprisingly, spotted on her wrist. She has been seen wearing the elegant, $3,000 piece designed by Jennifer Meyer, the ex-wife of actor Tobey Maguire, at multiple public engagements in recent years. 

Meghan rounded out her jewellery for the special, that was steeped in sugary-sweet sentimentality, with her wedding stack. 

When Prince Harry proposed to Meghan in 2017, he designed a bespoke engagement ring, featuring a cushion-cut diamond from Botswana, symbolising their first holiday together.

The ring also included two smaller round diamonds from Princess Diana’s personal collection, ensuring his late mother’s presence in their journey.

Initially crafted by Cleave & Company, Queen Elizabeth’s trusted jeweller, the ring featured a simple gold band and was valued at around £120,000.

However, less than two years later, Harry commissioned Lorraine Schwartz to resize and reset the ring with a new diamond band, which Meghan first wore at Trooping the Colour in 2019.

In 2022, speculation emerged that Meghan might have further altered the ring by adding a hidden halo to the design – also spotted in the Netflix series.

She paired it with her £10,000 ($13,293) wedding band, that was crafted from Welsh gold in keeping with royal tradition, and her £80,000 ($106,350) eternity ring.  

The sparkler first caught the eye of royal watchers when Meghan wore it at Trooping the Colour in 2019.

Placed alongside her wedding band and engagement ring, the eternity ring holds deep personal meaning as it was a gift from Harry to mark their first wedding anniversary.

Crafted with conflict-free diamonds, the ring features the birthstones of Meghan, Archie and Harry, subtly set on its underside: a green peridot, green emerald and blue sapphire.

The 56-minute one-off episode follows the first two critically-panned series of With Love, Meghan. 

 The show, which sees Meghan offer hosting tips while she cooks with celebrity friends, was savaged by critics following its release in March – but a second series was released in August.

The show’s launch in March coincided with the unveiling of Meghan’s As Ever brand, which sells products including raspberry jam and flower sprinkles, which she repeatedly promotes throughout the show.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex secured a lucrative contract with Netflix, thought to be worth more than $100million in 2020, after quitting as senior working royals.

Harry and Meghan announced they had signed a new ‘multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects’ with the streaming platform in August.

Meghan described the deal as ‘an incredible sign of the strength of our partnership’, despite rumours the streaming giant may be pivoting away from her and Harry.

At the end of the trailer, viewers were told to ‘discover more holiday cheer, shop As Ever’.

The new festive range was posted to the asever.com website.

Items featured include a 43g spiced cider mulling spice kit costing $16 and a three-pack of spreads in a gift box for $42.