The Mellerio Shell Tiara

A rather unique tiara for a power princess, the Mellerio Shell Tiara's providence starts at the French jewelry house of Mellerio. It was given by Isabella II to her daughter the Infanta Isabel when she married Prince Gaetano of Bourbon two Sicilies in 1868. The tiara eventually made it's way to King Juan Carlos father, who was the Count of Barcelona, who then gave the tiara as a wedding gift to Princess Sofia of Greece in 1962.

The tiara had been made by Mellerio for the 1867 Paris Exhibition. It is made of diamonds in the shape of shells decorated with pearls at the center. It is currently worn by Queen Sofia of Spain, occasionally  loaned to Princess Letizia.

I personally like this tiara. It's romantic, it has the right amount of drama and yet still sophisticated. The shape of the pearls help with the dramatic effect too. I wish to see this tiara on any of the Infantas when they're of age soon :)

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

With the help of a committee organized by Lady Greville, Garrard was commissioned to create a diamond tiara as a wedding present for the future Queen Mary in 1893. She later gave it as a wedding present to her granddaughter’s wedding, the future Queen Elizabeth II.

The tiara is described to be a “a diamond festoon-and-scroll design surmounted by nine large oriental pearls on diamond spikes and set on a bandeau base of alternate round and lozenge collets between two plain bands of diamonds" by Leslie Field. 

Queen Elizabeth II originally wore the tiara without the base or without the pearls, and it appears on her portraits in many Commonwealth currencies.

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna's Ruby and Diamond Parure

Known as "Miechen", Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna was considered to be the third most powerful woman in the Russian Empire. She loved the grandeur and society, an accomplished woman according to the needs of the court. During her time, she has acquired a stunning amount of jewelry.

This particular tiara has caught my eye. Made by Cartier for her in 1908, the central stone is the Beauharnais Ruby which once belonged to Empress Josephine and weighed 5.22 carats. As with many of her jewels, they were smuggled out of Russia in a diplomatic bag when the empire fell apart. Upon her death, her jewels were divided upon her children. The tiara was eventually sold to Nancy Leeds, who herself became Anastasia of Greece

Ruby and Diamond Brooch

The Grand Duchess was considered the "grandest of the grand duchesses" and was one of the most prominent hostesses in St. Petersburg. A lady of her standing certainly deserves the grandeur of her jewels.  She was the original owner of the Vladimir Tiara who's current owner is Queen Elizabeth II. Why, the magpie in me is certainly fluttering with delight :)

Tiara and Earrings by Catherine II of Russia

There comes a point in a magpie's life when they see a really sparkly object and not know anything about it, and it's even more painful to not even have a name for it. All that the magpie knows is that it's sparkly, it's pretty and darn awesome.

It once belonged to Catherine II of Russia, who was the longest-reigning female leader of Russia. Although she was born a Princess, her family didn't have enough money. She married Peter III and came into power after a coup d'etat and the assassination of her husband. She reigned until her death when she was sixty-seven.

Here's a partial close-up of her beautiful tiara and earrings. I wish these jewels will see the light of day (and cameras) on a royal's head soon

Beetle Parure

You have your diamonds and alexandrites and turquoises and emeralds but when it comes to "special" tiaras, this one immediately takes a huge slice off the cake. 

Made out of beetles given by the Portuguese Ambassador of that day to the Earl of Granville, it was to be a token of gratitude for securing an important trade treaty. It was on 1884 that the beetles were mounted on to a parure to be used by the Countess Granville. 

The famous jewellery firm Philips of Cockspur Street was already renowned then, and was tasked with creating the parure. They specialize in neoclassical, Egyptian and neo-renaissance styles and this parure is heavily inspired by antiquity. The necklace was in the of classical fringe necklaces excavated from archaeological sites in the Mediterranean while the tiara was redolent of ancient Egyptian treasures. Setting the beetles in Egyptian styles also mimics the imagery of scarabs in ancient Egypt.

Tiara 101: What is a Tiara?

Fleur de Lis Tiara

They’re sparkly, they’re glitzy, and they’re a subject of a magpie’s attention and affection. The “tiara” is one head piece that’s associated with royalty, an important accessory in every aristocrat’s regalia. It’s both a representation of wealth, perhaps history. It comes in various colours and designs but one thing is for sure, a tiara is made to last forever. 

Nothing incites attention in the world of royal sartorial more than what tiara they’re wearing. Petite or big gun, it can make or break a royal’s outfit. Not to mention, aside from the magnificence a carat-load of gems each piece has its own history. 

But what is a tiara?

A tiara is a type of crown. Contrary to popular belief, a tiara can be worn by anyone, regardless of whatever title they hold or their stature in life since they are merely a kind of jewelry. It is just that they are commonly associated with royalty. 

Does a tiara have to abide to specific designs to be considered a tiara?

 Tiaras were originally designed to be cylindrical in shape and typically worn by men. They weren’t necessarily made with metals and precious jewels, but could’ve been with other materials such leathers and fabrics ornamented by feathers and other ornaments. Different cultures had their own versions of this type of crown. 

Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara in Pearls

Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara in Emeralds

Today, tiaras are of various designs and sizes and makes use of a whole variety of jewels. Many of them are convertible into necklaces or interchangeable gems while others have been broken up for the jewels to be used in separate pieces such as brooches, pins or earrings.

What if I want to wear a tiara? What occasions can one wear a tiara?

Since tiaras are commonly associated with royalty, society deems the use of tiaras by common people as tacky and pretentious. The fact is, beauty pageants “crown” their winners “beauty queens” with a tiara. Some pageants go so far as to create different tiaras for different “winners” such as the Miss Earth pageant. I’d say “Toddlers and Tiaras” is one bizarre example in this category. 

Another occasion where tiaras are used is on traditional Indian weddings. Some weddings in certain countries also make use of a tiara along with the dress and veil. 

Who has the most expensive tiara collection in the world? I want one! 

 

Considering tiaras are commonly associated with royalty and is a part of the history of a royal family, it is safe to assume that the QueenElizabeth II has the most extensive and expensive tiara collection in the world and many of which are heirlooms or gifts to the British Royal Family. Some tiaras were given to the Queen as inheritance; some were commissioned for a special occasion, while some are presented as gifts.

The Queen occasionally receives separate gems as gifts, and depending on the governing powers (ehemm…a magpie’s wishes) these gems gets included in the creation of new tiaras and other kinds of jewelry. 

When does one wear a tiara? 

As mentioned, if you’re royalty/have been married/won a beauty pageant you may have already won a tiara. (Congratulations!)  But when do you actually wear one? Well, tiaras as worn by royalty are only worn on specific occasions and with explicit permission from the respective owners – a foundation, private owner etc.

Since not all tiaras are made equal, it goes without saying that not all events are made equal. 

A formal evening occasion in England may not require a tiara but in Denmark, it might. It all depends on protocol, dress code, and maybe dependent on unspoken trivialities that one cannot simply put logic into. Even though customs differ from country to country in the UK, a princess can only wear a tiara when they are married.

For the magpie in me, this all seems like sparkly fun!

The Midnight Tiara

The Midnight Tiara from the Danish Royal Family is one of the easily recognizable tiaras around. Created in 2009 for an exhibition at the Amalienborg along with other historical pieces. Created by Charlotte Lynggaard, it features 18-carat rose and white gold and black oxidized silver making up the delicately-shaped leaves as well as 31 flower buds made up by 1,300  diamonds and several moonstones in various shapes. The whole tiara is made to allude a starry night sky. 

While this tiara isn't privately owned nor owned by the family foundation, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has exclusive rights to borrow it. She wore it to Prince Henrik's 75th birthday celebrations in 2009 and on Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations in 2010.  The tiara is part of a collection that includes a brooch and earrings of the same design, which the Crown Princess has been seen wearing already. Considering it costs about a million danish crowns, this arrangement seems to please all parties. Not to mention it promotes modern Danish design. Most recently, the Crown Princess wore it to the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden.

Personally, I find that the unusual design makes it difficult to perfectly match with the right outfit. Even though the magpie in me wishes there was a lot more sparkle, it wins in uniqueness and modernity.

The Modern Fringe Tiara

On June 8th, Princess Madeleine of Sweden wed Chris O'Neill which was a two-day event attended by many royals from other countries. Despite the modernity of the service, the wedding was rife with romantic symbolism. My favourite was the myrtle that has been a tradition of Swedish royal brides. The Cameo tiara was a no-show in the wedding, Princess Madeleine chose to wear the Modern Fringe tiara (with orange blossoms).

There's not much history for this piece yet, as it is a rather new addition to the collection.What we do know is that it's a very versatile piece. It can turn into a necklace, and has been work reversed on several occasions. According to royal court presses, it is a "private tiara", which I assume makes it a private property of Queen Silvia and not by the family foundation. 

It also happens to be Princess Madeleine's favourite tiara, as she has appeared wearing it on many occasions. As much as I would've liked to have seen her wear the Cameo tiara as her wedding tiara, it comes as no surprise that she would wear her favourite sparkler.