Royals British Royal Family British Royal Family Style Kate Middleton May Have Fashioned Princess Diana's Jewels Into a Dazzling New Sapphire Necklace Kate wore a stunning diamond and sapphire pendant that is very likely to have been fashioned from Princess Diana's favorite sapphire collection By Monique Jessen Monique Jessen Monique Jessen is a UK-based journalist with over 20 years experience interviewing celebrities, reporting on the British royal family and covering style People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 8, 2020 02:05PM EDT Kate Middleton has debuted a stunning new necklace, believed to have originated from her late mother-in-law Princess Diana. The new piece of jewelry was spotted on Kate as she and Prince William welcomed the President of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena to Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. During the meeting, which saw the two couples sitting opposite each other on gold ornate sofas, Kate matched her blue belted dress by Emilia Wickstead perfectly with her sapphire jewels. She wore her go-to sapphire and diamond drop earrings, with her sapphire engagement ring and the latest addition — a new striking sapphire and diamond pendant necklace. Prince William and Kate Middleton's 3 Kids Meet One of Their Favorite Celebrities Jonathan Brady/WPA Pool/Getty Images Jonathan Brady/AP/Shutterstock The dazzling piece, which has never been seen before, features a sapphire surrounded by diamonds suspended from a smaller pendant made in a similar design. Kate wore the piece on a very fine gold chain. The pendant has likely been refashioned from the same suite of jewelry as Kate’s earrings, which also have seen a redesign from their original form and which she has worn on numerous occasions. The origins of the hand-me-down sapphires date back to 1981, when Diana was gifted a magnificent set of sapphire and diamond jewelry by the Saudi royal family as a wedding gift. They were made to match perfectly with Diana's sapphire engagement ring, now worn by Kate. RELATED PHOTOS: Every Time Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle Wore Princess Diana's Jewelry Chris Jackson/Getty Images On receiving the extravagant gift, which was made by Asprey and included an enormous Burmese sapphire and diamond pendant, suspended on a thin diamond necklace, matching earrings, ring, bracelet and watch, Diana is said to have exclaimed “Gosh, and I don’t even know this man!” Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Kate isn’t the first royal to up-cycle the gems – Diana who famously loved sapphires, after wearing the pieces in their original form, used the stones from the watch and ring to make completely new pieces of jewelry, including a midnight blue velvet choker adorned with diamonds and a large sapphire, which she wore as a headband on an official visit to Japan in 1986. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Anwar Hussein/Getty Images Stepping in on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, who has returned to Windsor Castle from Sandringham — William and Kate's meeting marked the first time that an audience has taken place at Buckingham Palace since the Queen left in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.