The Mellerio Ruby Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): tiara detail; Queen Máxima of the Netherlands; Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands; Queen Juliana of the Netherlands


The Dutch tiara collection is so large that it includes not one but two major ruby tiaras. We've talked about the first one (the Ruby Peacock tiara) already, and today we're going to look at the second: the ruby tiara made for the family by

The Antique Pearl Tiara

All photos: Queen Máxima of the Netherlands

What a difference a few hours makes! This morning, Máxima of the Netherlands woke up as a princess; this evening, she goes to bed a queen. In honor of her new role, let's take a look at the very first tiara she wore in public, shall we?

The antique pearl tiara of the Dutch royal family is sometimes called the Pavlovnik pearl tiara, because Anna

The Pearl Button Tiara

All photos: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands


Thirty-three years ago today, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands was invested as queen, following the abdication of her mother. For her investiture ceremony, she chose the family's pearl button tiara.



The tiara, as per its name, is made of five pearl and diamond buttons placed on a diamond base. Some have argued that the base of the tiara was

The Queen Emma Diamond Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Queen Emma of the Netherlands; Princess Máxima of the Netherlands; Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (by Warhol); tiara detail


Even famous artists can't seem to resist the glitz and glamour of royal tiaras. When Andy Warhol created a portrait of Queen Beatrix for his Reigning Queens series in 1985, he chose to depict her wearing one of the family's

The Dutch Aquamarine Tiara

Photos (from left): Queen Juliana of the Netherlands; Princess Máxima of the Netherlands; Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands





Tomorrow's the big day for the Dutch royal family: Queen Beatrix abdicates after more than thirty years on the throne, making her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, the first king to reign in the Netherlands for more than a century. I'm not even going to pretend like it's

Weekend Bonus: The Dutch Diamond Bandeau Tiara

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1909-2004) wears the Dutch Diamond Bandeau Tiara with the diamond necklace and brooch from the Stuart parure

Weekend Bonus: The Dutch Laurel Wreath Tiara

 



Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (born 1938) wears the Dutch Laurel Wreath Tiara at a banquet during the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the Duke of Edinburgh to the Netherlands in 1958. As an extra bonus, Queen Elizabeth (born 1926) wears the Vladimir Tiara with pearl drops, along with the Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee necklace, Queen Mary's pearl pendant

The Shwikar Tiara

All photos: tiara detail


We've got time for one more scroll tiara this week, so let's end with a bit of a stunner, shall we? This is the tiara once owned by Princess Shwikar of Egypt, the first wife of the King Fuad I.



The tiara, which was commissioned by the then-future king, is made of diamonds and pearls set in platinum. It looks awfully similar to another tiara with Egyptian

The Poltimore Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon; Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon; Florence Bampfylde, Lady Poltimore; Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon; tiara detail


If ever there was a tiara match made in heaven, it was Princess Margaret and the Poltimore Tiara. This tiara, with its floral and scroll elements, may not have been made for Margaret's

The Mountbatten Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma; Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma; tiara detail; Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma; Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma


Today's scroll tiara belonged to none other than Edwina Mountbatten, wife of Lord Louis and, therefore, aunt of the Duke of Edinburgh. The

The Wrede Tiara

From a distance, this diamond scroll tiara, which belongs to the Wrede family, can be a bit of a headscratcher. What exactly is going on with the top of it? Are there dark gems set in those loops? Are they just open? Are they supposed to be open?



The answer becomes clear when you see it up close -- yes, they are supposed to be open like that. This is perhaps one of the more dramatic scroll

The Belgian Scroll Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg; Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg; Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg; tiara detail

When Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium married Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg in 1953, she brought a considerable number of jewels with her to her new country, including several wedding gifts. This tiara, the

Weekend Bonus: The Marie Feodorovna Sapphire Bandeau Tiara

Queen Mary of the United Kingdom (1867-1953) wears the Marie Feodorovna Sapphire Bandeau Tiara. The choker she wears, with rows of diamonds and pearls secured with a large sapphire and diamond clasp, was also purchased from Marie Feodorovna's collection; it is worn today by Princess Anne

Weekend Bonus: The Thurn and Taxis Emerald Tiara

Princess Margarethe of Thurn and Taxis (1870-1955) wears the Thurn and Taxis Emerald Tiara with additional pieces from the family's emerald parure

The Queen Alexandra Kokoshnik Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom; tiara detail; Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom; Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom



A truly solid fringe tiara wraps up our week of fringes today; even better, it's a fringe that is also a kokoshnik tiara. The craze for fringe tiaras that mimicked the shape of Russian kokoshnik headpieces is largely the

The Modern Fringe Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Princess Madeleine of Sweden; Queen Silvia of Sweden; Princess Madeleine of Sweden; tiara detail




While the Swedes are notorious for draping themselves in historic jewels, there are also new tiaras in their collection. This one, the Modern Fringe Tiara, is often said to have been a tenth-anniversary present from King Carl XVI Gustaf to Queen Silvia in 1986.

The Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara

All photos: Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg




This tiara, one of the flashiest fringes around, belongs to the princely family of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburgs are prominent in today's discussions about royalty mainly because the current princess, Benedikte, is the sister of both Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and the former Queen Anne-Marie of

The Miller Fringe Tiara

Photos: Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece




The Greek royal family may not have a country to rule anymore, but they still have an impressive jewel collection. However, this diamond fringe tiara is a new addition to the Greek vaults, courtesy one of the newer additions to the family, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal.



For years, there have been rumors that this tiara was a gift from

The Queen Alexandrine Fringe Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Countess Sussie of Rosenborg; Queen Alexandrine of Denmark; Countess Sussie of Rosenborg; tiara detail




We're used to seeing one Danish princess, Benedikte, wearing a flashy fringe tiara on a regular basis, but that's not the fringe tiara that actually comes from the Danish royal collection. (Benedikte's tiara is from her husband's family -- but more on that

Weekend Bonus: The Queen Ena Aquamarine Tiara

Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain (1887-1969) wears the Queen Ena Aquamarine Tiara

Weekend Bonus: The Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (born 1940) wears the Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara. On her dress, she wears two brooches: a horizontal brooch of pearls from her great-aunt, Lady Patricia Ramsay, and a brooch with a drop pearl from her grandmother, Queen Alexandrine of Denmark

The Ruby Olive Wreath Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): tiara detail; Queen Olga of the Hellenes; Queen Friederike of the Hellenes; Queen Anne-Marie of Greece


One last wreath tiara to round out the week: but surprise, it's an olive wreath this time rather than a laurel wreath! Just trying to keep you all on your toes...



This is, of course, the ruby olive wreath tiara owned by the former royal family of Greece.

The Baden Laurel Wreath Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Archduchess Valerie, Margravine of Baden; Archduchess Valerie, Margravine of Baden; Princess Theodora, Margravine of Baden; tiara detail


If you ask me, one thing that can improve an already-great laurel wreath tiara is a couple of well-placed ruby berries. One of my favorite examples of this design is found in the laurel wreath tiara owned by the family of

The Westminster Laurel Wreath Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Lady Tamara van Cutsem; Lady Tamara van Cutsem; Lady Tamara van Cutsem; tiara detail

When the eldest daughter of one of the richest men in Britain gets married, not just any tiara purchased from the local jeweler will do! So when Lady Tamara Grosvenor, daughter of the Duke of Westminster, married Edward van Cutsem in 2004 -- at a wedding that was so prominent

The Emerald Laurel Wreath Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Archduchess Francesca of Austria; Archduchess Francesca of Austria; Archduchess Francesca of Austria; tiara detail


It seems pretty impossible that we've made it to April without roping more of the Habsburgs into our tiara party, doesn't it? Well, we'll make up for that today, with a look at the laurel wreath tiara worn by Francesca von Habsburg (who would be

The Brabant Laurel Wreath Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant; tiara detail; Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant; Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant


Most of the crown princesses in Europe have multiple tiaras at their disposal, some of them personally owned, some of them loaners from the royal vaults. Princess Mathilde of Belgium, however, has only ever worn two tiaras: the

Weekend Bonus: The Khedive of Egypt Tiara

Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden (1882-1920), née Princess Margaret of Connaught, wears the Khedive of Egypt Tiara

Weekend Bonus: The Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (born 1926) wears the Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara and its matching necklace and earrings at a state banquet for the Brazilian president in 2006; she also wears the grand collar and star of the Order of the Southern Cross, a Brazilian order of chivalry

The Empress Joséphine Fabergé Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): tiara detail; tiara worn by model; tiara worn by model; tiara detail


The last drop tiara of the week is a rare tiara made by Fabergé, a jewelry house that made relatively few tiaras. Although the tiara ended up in Italy, it began its story with two imperial powers: Russia and France.


Some of the diamonds in the tiara were given by Tsar Alexander I of Russia

The Romanov Pearl Kokoshnik Tiara

Photos (from left): Tsarina Alexandra of Russia; tiara detail; Tsarina Alexandra of Russia


Nothing says imperial Russia like a giant pearl and diamond kokoshnik tiara, if you ask me. This tiara is one of the pieces most frequently associated with Alexandra, the last empress of Russia, and it includes a thoroughly impressive array of diamonds and pearls, including a series of suspended pearl

The Leeds Cartier Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Princess Anastasia of Greece and Denmark; Princess Anastasia of Greece and Denmark; tiara detail


Usually, tiaras tend to travel from royal to non-royal hands, as they are sold at auction or inherited by untitled members of the family. Today's drop tiara, however, is the rare case of a tiara that started out the property of an American heiress -- and then

The Vladimir Tiara

Photos (clockwise from top left): Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom; Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of  Russia; Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom; Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom; Queen Mary of the United Kingdom


Some of the biggest drops on a tiara in all the land live on the Vladimir tiara, one of Queen Elizabeth II's most frequently worn sparklers. But the tiara didn't