Antique, Vintage and Estate Fine Jewelry
There’s so much mystery when it comes to the Romanov crown jewels. But one would assume that we have been aware of all of those mysteries for decades. And yet, in 2012 a new mystery came to light. Several long forgotten Romanov Jewels, including a spectacular diadem – the Sapphire Wave Tiara.
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Yes, I know that I’m supposed to be writing about Russian tiaras right now. And yes, I also know that this one is titled the Yugoslavian Diamond Kokoshnik Tiara. Just hold tight with me for a little bit and all will be revealed.
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When researching the lost Russian Tiaras, one can’t help but be a little sad. So many lovely jewels who’s whereabouts are unknown. Auctioned off (or worse) in the early 1900s never to be seen again. And so was the fate of Alexandra Feodorovna’s Emerald Tiara (sometimes called The Columbian Tiara).
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Ahhhh, young love. Or was it? A fourteen year old bride. A fifteen year old groom. At the hands of the matchmaker of matchmakers, young Princess Louise of Baden was fixed up with Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich of Russia, the future Tsar Alexander I, by his grandmother, Catherine the Great. And the granddaughter-in-law, who would come to be known as Elizabeth Alexeievna, of a powerful royal woman would of course have amazing jewelry. I think it’s safe to say that Elizabeth Alexeievna’s Diamond Kokoshnik fits the bill.
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There’s so much mystery around the tiaras of the Russian Empire, it can be hard to know fact from fiction. Today’s #TiaraTuesday beauty is definitely a mystery but one to which someone somewhere holds the answer. The Russian Field Diadem may be lost to us commoners, but it may just live on for some…. if you hang out in the right circles.
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So many treasures lost. It happens when a royal empire falls. Families are at best driven into exile and at worst? Well, I think we all know the answer to that. In either case, priceless jewels are often lost forever, either sold or stolen and then broken up. That was definitely the case for many of the adornments of the last Russian Royal Family. But a few treasures remain – The Russian Nuptial Tiara, for one, survives.
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Definitely my favorite Spanish tiara and quite possibly in my top five tiaras of all time you’ll find the Ansorena Meander Tiara. If you’ve been following me and reading these posts for any length of time, you’ll know that I love a convertible piece of jewelry. One that is a necklace one minute and a brooch another. Or better yet, a tiara that can still be a tiara yet also a necklace at the same time. I love the efficiency.
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When I think of royal tiaras, I think of antique pieces that have been handed down through the ages, property of the crown instead of belonging to the individual. Sure, there are exceptions. Queen Elizabeth has a few tiaras that belong to her and not the state. And her sister had an amazing tiara she bought with her own funds and then wore in a photoshoot in her bathtub. There’s a Spanish tiara that also fits the bill: the Ansorena Fleur-de-Lis Tiara
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I’ve always said it’s good to know a cop, lawyer, judge and a rich shipping magnate. Ok, I may have added that last one recently. But only because in researching today’s tiara, I found out that Princess Sophia (as she was known at the time) was given this off the charts gorgeous ruby and diamond parure, which includes the Niarchos Ruby Tiara, as a wedding present.
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What’s it like to count the Duchess of Windsor (who also loved the House of Cartier) and Frank Sinatra as clients? If only we could ask Suzanne Belperron. Maybe best known for her ‘stones imbedded in stones’ designs, Belperron had a style all her own.
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Well, I’ve avoided the obvious for a while now, but I guess it’s time to go ahead and talk about the rings that everyone has talked about already. Who do I mean? Well, I guess it’s finally time we talk abut Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank and the padparadscha sapphire engagement ring.
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Prior to Princess Eugenie wearing the Greville Emerald Tiara in her wedding last October, we didn’t often see colored stone tiaras center stage for royal nuptials. But there’s always that exception and in this case, it was the Infanta Pilar’s Sapphire Tiara, which had been worn at not just one but TWO royal weddings in the 21st century.
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When daddy is one of the richest men in America (so is grandpa, but who’s counting) and you’re getting married, what kind of wedding present should you expect? Clearly, a piece of jewelry to make even the most seasoned of jewelry collectors catch their breath is in order. And so it went with Barbara Hutton, the only child of Edna and Franklyn Laws Hutton (and granddaughter of Frank W. Woolworth). When Barbara married a prince in 1933, her father bequeathed her with an outstanding jadeite necklace by Cartier, later dubbed Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace.
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When you think of trend setters and fashion plates, I’m guessing the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth’s mum, known also as Elizabeth, doesn’t come to mind. But it seems, in her own right, she was. At least when it comes to engagement rings.
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Not all of the tiaras out there have been passed down for generations within royal families. There are some tiaras that are delightful but weren’t initially brought to life by a king, queen, prince or princess. Just like the days of royals only marrying royals are over, some tiaras have made their way into royal collections via gifts from non-royal families. One such tiara is The Marichalar Meander Tiara.
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It would make sense, given that Spain is surrounded by water on more than two sides, that there could be a royal tiara in their collection that resembles a sea shell or ocean waves. Perhaps that was the thought when in 1868 Queen Isabella II of Spain bought the Mellerio Shell Tiara for her daughter, Infanta Isabella.
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What is it about mothers and daughters-in-law? Especially royal mothers? Poor Queen Ena. Her MIL, Queen Maria Cristina, was quite the the critic. No matter that Ena (whose real name was Princess Victoria Eugenie) was a direct descendant of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria (their granddaughter, to be exact). Queen Maria Cristina was born a Habsburg archduchess and she had her mind made up that her son would be marrying one of his Habsburg cousins. But cupid had other plans and so it was a Battenberg princess that won his heart.
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It can’t be all kokoshniks and greek keys. Sometimes a royal gal just needs some flowers! That’s why today’s episode of #TiaraTuesday focuses on the Spanish Floral Tiara. I mean… the name says it all.
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Since we were already on the subject of Dutch Royalty just yesterday, I thought we’d just stay right on track and discuss the gorgeous engagement ring that belongs to Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.
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We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you…. something truly amazing. Ok, not that all of these tiaras aren’t amazing in their own right. But this one? Well, it’s extra amazing. Enough so that on this #TiaraTuesday, it was worth jumping out of our current theme, so I could introduce you to the Dutch Sapphire Tiara.
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Oh to be young, famous and in love. So maybe were the thoughts of the likes of Clementine Hozier and Winston Churchill. While I could find no photos of the future Prime Minister’s beloved wearing her engagement ring, it is well documented that it actually belonged to another Mrs. Churchill (better known as Lady Jennie Churchill) before it was gifted to Clementine.
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If it hasn’t already, it should be starting to become clear that royal jewels often change over time. Take Queen Ena’s Aquamarine Tiara as exhibit A. Once upon a time, Queen Ena (Queen Victoria’s granddaughter) gently nudged her husband, King Alfonso, in the direction of the jeweler Ansorena, who made a diamond and pearl tiara at his request. But just like other royals in her family (she was originally a Battenberg princess, after all), Ena decided to re-work the pearl tiara into something a bit more spectacular.
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