Antique, Vintage and Estate Fine Jewelry
We can’t do much about Covid19 or the crazy folks not staying tight at home. Bu you know what we can do? Drool over tiaras. And even better, these tiaras are within our grasp (assuming we have the funds for such – I personally don’t but I hope you do) because they are tiaras up for auction! Thank heavens for Sothebys (who has most of the listings here unless otherwise noted – click photos to head to the auction listings).
I thought that maybe we might all be a little “done” with the tiaras broken down by monarchy. We’ve been through the UK, Spain, Russia and France. This week I decided to revisit a different kind of royalty. The (mostly) American royalty and their Hollywood tiaras.
Remember a couple of weeks ago when I told you about Queen Marie-Amelie’s sapphire and pearl tiara? Yes? Well then you probably remember it told you that tiara, and its corresponding parure, was just the tip of the iceberg. Today I bring you…. the iceberg. This is Queen Marie-Amelie’s Diamond and Sapphire Tiara.
Queen Marie-Amélie’s Sapphire and Pearl Tiara, which luckily was not a part of the French Crown Jewels.
As was the case with many countries throughout history, France and its royal family has a turbulent past. World leaders to residing in exile. Grand jewels that were later sold off. But unlike Mother Russia, the Crown Jewels of France, at least some of them, remain. One intact piece is that of famous nobility: The Duchess d’Angouleme Emerald And Diamond Tiara.
Yet another tiara that saw a major transformation. This time French. And this time not dismantled at the hands of a bored Princess. What’s the story with Empress Marie-Louise’s fantastic tiara? Hang on to your hats because here we go.
So, I’ll readily admit that I might be stretching it a bit to include this tiara in the French Royal Tiaras, but if I don’t include the The Leuchtenberg Fabergé Tiara here, then it likely will be left out. And I just can’t do that, since it’s one of my top three favorite tiaras of all time. And it has a surprise happy ending.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.