Today is my little sister’s birthday. Happy birthday, sister!
I asked her what jewelry she wanted to oogle on her day and she requested tiaras. Tiaras she shall have!
This is also my 300th post (!!!), which makes it extra special.
This classic diamond and pearl tiara screams fairy tale princess – or, rather, it calmly but firmly announces fairy tale princess. This tiara would never scream. Made in 1900, it’s designed as a series of graduated open work garlands of floral and foliate motifs, featuring seven natural saltwater pearls. The floral and foliate elements are millegrain-set with rose, cushion-shaped and circular-cut diamonds. The tiara is accompanied by three screwdrivers, a uniform line of collet-set circular-cut diamonds with screw fittings length, and a pendant fitting. These may be used to transform it into a diadem, a smaller tiara or a pendant on a fine chain.
This emerald and diamond tiara would look incredible tucked into a crown of dark hair – can you imagine how the emeralds would pop? This beautiful piece is designed in graduated scrolls highlighted with three sprays set with cabochon emerald drops and with rose, French-, single- and circular-cut diamonds. The emeralds detach and can be worn as earrings and a brooch, so really it’s a 4-in-1.
This delicate gold beauty is the oldest of the tiaras in this post; it dates back to the early 19th century. It’s comprised of a chased gold frame supporting a row of pinched collet-set table-cut and rose diamonds, to a surmount with floral and foliate gold work, capped with similarly cut stones. I think it’s perfectly lovely.
This delicate tiara is ideal for when you don’t want your head wear to steal all the focus – although it’s so pretty that it might steal thunder anyway. It’s designed as a series of scroll and stylized foliate motifs, set at intervals with pearls of various sizes, circular-cut and rose diamonds. It may also be worn as a necklace.
This tiara is almost too detailed to photograph well. It dates to the early 1900s is designed as a series of thirteen graduated stylized ribbon and scroll elements. The ribbons and scrolls are set with circular-, single-cut, cushion-shaped and oval diamonds and each highlighted in the center with an oval sapphire.
This Edwardian beauty was made in 1910 and features a gently scrolling design with foliate elements. It features 6.50 carats of old European-cut, single-cut and rose-cut diamonds, accentuated by 3.25 carats of colored old European-cut and old mine colored diamonds, mounted in gold and platinum.
What do you think of these tiaras? Which would you pick?
All images and info in this post are thanks to Sotheby’s. Please see the links in the individual descriptions above for original listings of the tiaras.
Take that, anyone who’s ever doubted that jewelry is an art form. Look at those tiny, impossibly precise, incredibly perfect details. The gold and enamel openwork border just slays me.
