Jared Kushner handed over to the American government a signed and framed photo from The Queen that he received during the June 2019 state visit to the United Kingdom. It’s illegal for an official to keep a gift without purchasing it and the person could face civil penalties. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi gave a ‘large double framed carved from black stone with image of President Donald J. Trump in precious metal on one side and the coat of arms of Egypt on the other.’ It was valued at $4,450. The department is looking into the matter and has an ongoing inquiry,’ it said in the Federal Register notice. State Department has asked its inspector general to determine what happened to it. Besides Kushner and Conway, Stephanie Grisham, Dan Scavino, Lindsey Reynolds, Stephen Miller, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders all received one, the filing shows. 390 in value and keep track of their disposition. The missing Japanese whisky as given to then Secretary of State Pompeo in June 2019, presumably when he was there for a G20 meeting. The State Department’s Office of Protocol is required to record gifts given to U.S. The State Department’s Office of Protocol released gifts foreign leaders gave U.S. Australian Prime Minister gave Trump a framed photo of the first couple valued at $470. Recipients either have to turn them over to the National Archives or another government entity or purchase them for personal use at their valued cost. The 92 page document reveals that Donald Trump received multiple photos of himself, Melania Trump got a sterling silver jewelry box from the Queen and a $5,800 bottle of Japanese whisky given to Mike Pompeo has gone missing. The gifts, handed out to Trump administration officials by foreign leaders in 2019, were revealed in a new filing in the Federal Register on Wednesday. And The New York Times reported the U.S. Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong gave a painting of Trump ‘on dual pane glass’ valued at $5,250. And all of them handed their photo over to the U.S. One theme of the gifts to the then-president was images of himself. The Queen handed out several signed and framed photographs of herself to Trump aides during the June 2019 state visit. But Kellyanne Conway forked over the $2,830 to keep hers.

The Queen, meanwhile, gave Trump a pen set during his June 2019 state visit and a first edition copy of The Second World War by Winston S. Churchill – the abridged version. Melania Trump amassed quite a jewelry collection, although she, too, turned her gifts over to the government. Trump also received a couple of fire arms as gifts. All the gifts are in the hands of the National Archives. And Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrew Babis gave Trump a CZ 75 9mm pistol valued at $710. The Queen gave Melania a specially commissioned sterling silver jewelry box with enamel lid valued at $390. Trump also received a bronze sculpture of an Arabian horse from the crown prince of Bahrain worth $7,200 and a gold, onyx, emerald and diamond statue of an Arabian oryx worth $6,300 from the emir of Qatar. The former first lady received white gold – full report – diamond earrings from the wife of the Czech PM (valued at $470), an ornamental Japanese lacquer box and a signed photo from the Empress of Japan (valued at $1,130), pearl earrings valued at $2,600 from the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Abe, and pearl earrings valued at $700 from the wife of the Australian PM. Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov gave him an Ottoman Empire rifle valued at $8,500.

Her signature T-bar necklaces have been worn by the likes of Taylor Swift.

If you’re as magpie-like about jewellery as I am, you’ll always be on the lookout for new brands and original pieces to add to your collection. If you love keeping things unique and prefer to shop independent, these jewellery brands are worth checking out and keeping in mind for your next purchase. Their goal is to make pieces that ‘will be your go-to for years to come’. Tilly Sveaas founded her eponymous brand in 2016. Born in Hong Kong to British-Norwegian parents, London-based Tilly has been a jewellery designer for over 25 years, creating her first pieces during an extended trip to Bali, where she still produces to this day. But along with the prominent brands we all know and love, there are a load of under-the-radar gems (no pun intended) out there just waiting to be discovered. The brand’s founders, sisters Christie and Rosanna Wollenberg, believe you shouldn’t just save beautiful jewellery for best, so the sculptural rings and earrings are as practical as they are elegant. This British brand was launched in the autumn of 2024 by Tofi Caroline Adedoyin, a former investment banking director. Her signature T-bar necklaces have been worn by the likes of Taylor Swift. Otiumberg positions itself as a demi-fine jewellery brand. There are so many amazing affordable and mid-range jewellery brands out there today, with a plethora of choice no matter what your style. All Grove & Vae jewellery is designed in London, and created using 14k gold vermeil and rhodium-plated sterling silver.

The brand focuses on creating timeless, versatile pieces tailored to the modern woman’s everyday wardrobe. It always came with lengthy care instructions and still tarnished after only a few wears or turned my skin green’ she says. After working in the jewellery industry for 10 years, Amelia Bainbridge saw a gap in the market for jewellery that was both beautiful and affordable – and Auree was born in 2014. All Auree pieces are made with the highest quality solid gold, sterling silver or gold vermeil and natural gemstones. So she decided to make her own. Prior to starting Bijoux De Mimi, Amelia attended Central Saint Martins. Catherine ‘Catch’ Rhys Jones started her label out of a frustration with the jewellery she was buying. Crystals & Co. founders (and best friends) Emily Mackeogh and Leah O’Reilly aim to accessorise peoples lives with fun, high quality affordable jewellery. The brand uses solid metals – not plated or vermeil, and promises no green fingers or brass rash. Founded by Amelia Hitchcock-Merritt in the middle of lockdown at just eighteen, Bijoux De Mimi became one of the fastest growing jewellery brands in the UK. Items are produced in developing countries, giving the artisans income to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. I was tired of sacrificing style for quality, or my bank account for both’ says Neima Row founder Naomi Genes. With Love Darling believes in changing the world one piece of jewellery at a time. Made by small workshops all over the world, each piece holds a story. The pieces are gorgeous too – from delicate pendants to eye-catching hoops, available in either 18ct gold vermeil or sterling silver. Think timeless glamour meets modern minimalism, without the unattainable price tag. It specialises in bright, colourful jewellery.

It was established in 2009, with the ethos that jewellery should say a lot about who you are, whether big and bold or delicate and gold. Award winning British Jewellery Brand Scream Pretty was founded by Lucy Lee with her sister Jessica Pearce in 2016. This family run business designs jewellery for self expression; affordable, stylish and fun – jewellery to shout about. Dreamt up on a bicycle ride through Rajasthan, India, the British jewellery brand Memara was launched in 2019, with the aim to create beautiful, timeless yet affordable demi-fine pieces. The ranges include a collaboration with Vogue Williams. Pieces are made in sterling silver with 18ct gold vermeil. After growing up in Singapore, founder Lynette Ong left her job in finance to pursue a dream of using her creativity for the better. Olivia’s pursuit began when she identified a gap in the jewellery market – the need for everyday pieces that wouldn’t fade after a few wears – with this every piece comes with a lifetime guarantee against colour fading. The brand is named after Olivia’s mother Deborah Louise who Olivia sadly lost to cancer in 2017. With the loss of her mother, Olivia felt life was too short to not be truly passionate about the everyday and D.Louise was born. The eclectic collection draws inspiration from founder Abby Kaye’s past experiences and travels through India, as well as her childhood in London and love of nature. Founded by Olivia Jenkins in 2021, D. Louise creates timeless long-lasting yet affordable jewellery. Scream Pretty’s signature style is the curated ear – combining piercings and ear cuffs, to create bold stand out styling. Abby is a big believer in the talismanic and restorative power of jewellery, and strives to create designs that are both ethical and fashioned with love.