I’m going to let you in on a little secret: while I love a ruby, sapphire or emerald and diamond tiara, and even a pearl piece now and then, the aquamarine tiara, especially when worn by someone with intense ocean blue eyes, is possibly my favorite combo. Aqua tiaras can be hard to pull off – the cuts required to best show off an aquamarine don’t always lend themselves to the best tiara motifs. But you know who nailed it? The last Tsarina of Russia. Her Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara is a stunning example of how it can be done right.

And now for something totally different. A Russian tiara that we know the whereabouts of. Or at least…. we did. The Russian Pearl Pendant Kokoshnik Tiara was one of the great Romanov treasures that was confiscated. But we have a… Keep Reading

There’s so much mystery when it comes to the Romanov jewels. But one would assume that we have known all of those mysteries for years. And yet, in 2012 a new mystery came to light. A long forgotten Romanov jewel – the Sapphire Wave Tiara.

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.

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).

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.

I don’t know about you, but I sure am glad that #TiaraTuesday is back. Two weeks without historical tiaras is just too long to go. I hate it when the darn day job gets in the way of my dream life. Today’s #TiaraTuesday diadem holds a bit of mystery, to say the least.

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,… Keep Reading