Tiaras

[Cordata]

I also wonder about it's origin, but unfortunately most vendors prefer to stay anonymous when they auction their family jewellery.

Here is another anonymous tiara which I like very much. What do you think about this amethyst and diamond tiara? I once found the picture on the Foro Dinastías, but there was no info about it. The picture looks like it came from an auction house, but I couldn't find this tiara anywhere.

 

[LadyMaria]

If you need a good dose of tiaras, go to the Royal Jewels thread, pages 34-35...great way to end the year 2010!

 

[JewelFreak]

That's an interesting tiara, Cordata. Never saw it before -- it looks like late 19th c. Would like to know more too.

Does this one ring any bells with anyone? Got it off the Webshots site, no info listed with it. It's so sweet & feminine, I really like it.

--- Laurie

 

[JewelFreak]

Oh, I just found that the above was made in 1905 by Bailey, Banks & Biddle. Wonder for whom? Looks like an auction shot.

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

A very pretty tiara, Laurie! I've never seen it before. It remindes me a bit of this one (1910, Sweden):

 

[JewelFreak]

Bobby, that's a beauty! Haven't seen that one. Where did you get the photo? Do you know anything more about it? Looks like Belle Epoque or vicinity, no?

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

The photo is also from Webshots; from ingridzhang2's album "Misc." The tiara was made in 1910 in Sweden (?Bolin?), so yes, it's Belle Epoque.
I wonder if the laurel leaf garlands swing as the werer moves? That would be very nice, IMO.

Bobby

 

[LadyMaria]

A very pretty tiara, Laurie! I've never seen it before. It remindes me a bit of this one (1910, Sweden):

That tiara is very graceful! Nice find Bobby!

 

[stci]

And if you don't have money or status to wear a real tiara. Here is what you can have!

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-000-ROBERTO-C...42039?pt=Designer_Jewelry&hash=item3f0666d497

 

[LadyMaria]

Hmmm...no bids so far...if he moved that decimal point over a couple of places from $650.00 to $6.50 then I'm in!!

 

[stci]

Hmmm...no bids so far...if he moved that decimal point over a couple of places from $650.00 to $6.50 then I'm in!!

Problem is it's a Roberto Coin.... always expensive... but excellent quality!

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Most of us here have seen photos of tiaras that can be worn as necklaces*, but are there any photos of the empty tiara frames?

*if someone hasn't seen, I'd gladly post some photos

Bobby

 

[JewelFreak]

Bobby, while looking for something else, I came upon a photo of the Six Button Tiara naked, so to speak. It looks like the diamond rivieres sort of snap right in & are secured at the ends. I wonder what the material wrapping the bottom part is; I would think velvet but it almost looks like some kind of roping. Never saw the frame of a tiara before. Interesting.

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

That's a beautiful photo, Laurie. Thanks!
It was taken in the early 1980s when the tiara was still being made, before the two diamond rows were added. It always seemed to me that the 6 rosettes can be detached and worn as something else - buttons, pins, pendants. The smaller two rosettes have been worn as pendants.
The wrapping - it does look like some sort of roping indeed, but as I said the photo was taken when the tiara was still not completed. I guess the white velvet was added later, as you can see from that photo of Princess Lilian. Any guesses what the dark metal in the frame it? Doesn't really shout wtite gold/silver to me.


Bobby

 

[JewelFreak]

Bobby, I imagine it's some very lightweight metal, something not heavy & still durable. The caption on that photo pointed out that the rivieres can be removed so the lady can wear one strand of them or two. She'd have to have her hair pretty puffy to hide the lower "rung" or maybe it detaches too. It would also be possible to use other stones, say sapphires, if so desired. I agree, I'll bet the buttons do come off -- if it were mine, I'd have something else made to substitute, such as emeralds or pearls. That would be fun.

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Well, everything is possible, but I don't really think they ever considered switching from diamonds to sapphires or pearls. And I'm not sure the result would've been nice. I'm almost convinced I've never seen the tiara worn with only one row of diamonds.
The metal - I find the dark colour a bit strange, esp as photos of the tiara wornshow it as white (white gold or silver).

Bobby

 

[Rae~]

Could the dark metal have been a "tester" version, to check size/shape for comfort, or finalise design aspects, before the proper/final tiara frame was made from a (more) precious metal? I ask because the pic looks to me as if they were displaying the other options (perhaps already discarded) for the style of the buttons... maybe? That might also explain the rougher wrapping...?

 

[LadyMaria]

Here's a shot of an empty tiara frame....not a fringe necklace though. This is a circlet that used to be worn by Queen Victoria.

 

[LadyMaria]

Here's another interesting tiara frame....this is an inside view of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark's midnight tiara

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xudros/4700208828/in/set-72157622328892469/lightbox/

 

[JewelFreak]

Really neat pics, Maria. The inside one of the Midnight Tiara is very interesting -- and it looks like that frame is silver. Or white gold.

What stones were in Victoria's tiara? Where did you find that photo? Unusual.

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Really neat pics, Maria. The inside one of the Midnight Tiara is very interesting -- and it looks like that frame is silver. Or white gold.

What stones were in Victoria's tiara? Where did you find that photo? Unusual.

--- Laurie

Queen Victoria's Regal Circlet had diamonds in it. They (the stones) came from Queen Adelaide's Crown, which was made with stones from Queen Chrlotte's large diamond stomacher. Both Queens Alexandra and Mary have worn the Regal Circlet and then it was stripped from its stones to make Queen Elizabeth's Crown for the 1937 Coronation. The empty frame of the Circlet is now in the Tower.
I belive the photo of the frame came from one of the books on British Royal jewels. Someone else here knows better.
You can see a photo of Queen Victoria wearing the Circlet in the Royal Jewels thread (see my last post).

Bobby

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Here's an example of a tiara with detachable diamond flower clusters. The diamond flowers can be worn as brooches. The second photo shows the brooch fittings.

Bobby

 

[prince.of.preslav]

OK, here are some photos of ladies-in-waiting from different courts wearing tiaras.
The first three are from Britain:
Her Grace the Duchess of Grafton, Mistress of the Robes to Elizabeth II
Lady Susan Hussey, Woman of the Bedchamber to Elizabeth II
Diana, Baroness Farnham, Lady of the Bedchamber to Elizabeth II

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Ladies-in-waiting (aka Hofdames) from the Swdish court:

Alice Trolle-Wachtmeister, the overhovmastarinna of the court with her tiara

Kirsten von Blixen-Finecke with a laurel leaf bandeau & Louise Torneman wearing a samll diamond and opal/turquoise tiara

Two Hofdamers from the Danish court:
Marianne Boel was a long l-i-w to The Queen for 10 years untill last year. She passed away earlier this year from cancer.

Caroline Heering, lady-in-waiting to Crown Princess Mary

Bobby

 

[JewelFreak]

In a video on YouTube about the Norwegian royal tiaras there were pictures of the 2 below. It said the sapphire tiara hasn't been worn in 50 years and the peridot not seen since the 1950s. WHY? They are both so beautiful! This video was posted in 2008 -- I'm hoping some Norwegian royal lady has worn one of them in the 2 years since then. They both belonged to Queen Maud. Can't imagine why they would not have been worn!

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

I can assure you that neither of these tiaras ever belonged to Queen Maud. The peridot tiara was sold by Sotheby's some years before the video was made and came from a noble family. The sapphire tiara I'd rather discuss on the Royal Jewels thread.

Bobby

 

[JewelFreak]

THAT'S very interesting, Bobby. So the video was completely wrong. What a shame. A little research would have been in order! Oh well, it was fun to see film of those pretty things.

Also, thank you for the l-i-w's in tiaras, Bobby. Such lovely ones they all have, too. I'm sighing with envy. LadyMaria isn't, though!

--- Laurie

 

[JewelFreak]

I forgot -- love the pics of the brooch & tiara fittings -- something one never runs across! So, those little keys keep the diamond pieces in their tiara or brooch places, right? How clever! I always wondered how that worked, really glad to see them, Bobby.

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

THAT'S very interesting, Bobby. So the video was completely wrong. What a shame. A little research would have been in order! Oh well, it was fun to see film of those pretty things.

Also, thank you for the l-i-w's in tiaras, Bobby. Such lovely ones they all have, too. I'm sighing with envy. LadyMaria isn't, though!

--- Laurie

You're welcome, Laurie! The ladie-in-waiting have some very nice jewels indeed.

The video was not completely wrong as the other tiaras and jewels really belong to the Norwefian royal family.

Here we can see Christina Schwerin, one of Queen Silvia's hofdames, at the gala for the of the Amaranth Order's bicentenary in Malmo on 22 January.

Bobby

 

[LadyMaria]

THAT'S very interesting, Bobby. So the video was completely wrong. What a shame. A little research would have been in order! Oh well, it was fun to see film of those pretty things.

Also, thank you for the l-i-w's in tiaras, Bobby. Such lovely ones they all have, too. I'm sighing with envy. LadyMaria isn't, though!

--- Laurie

Yes I am! Mine aren't real!!!!!