Tiara

Description and Models of Tiaras

• Modern tiaras are (semi-)circles made of silver, gold, or platinum.
• Tiaras can also be made from tortoiseshell, coral, quartz, horn, or aluminum.
• They are richly decorated with precious stones, pearls, or cameos.
• Common decorative elements include arcs, garlands, circles, stars, and stylized flowers or leaves.
• Tiaras can contain hundreds to thousands of gemstones, with diamonds being the most common.
• Bandeau: a tiara in the shape of a ribbon or hairband.
• Kokoshnik: a tiara with a massive wall of gemstones, based on the Russian headdress.
• Circlet: a tiara that extends around the circumference of the head.
• Fringe: a tiara with a fringed trim of diamonds, also wearable as a necklace.

Wearing, Comfort, and Etiquette

• Tiaras are worn on the head or around the forehead, depending on the model and fashion.
• Wearing a tiara can cause headaches, so they are often attached to a cushioned supporting frame.
• Some tiaras can be disassembled and worn as individual elements like a necklace or brooch.
• Tiaras may be part of a matching set called a parure, which includes other jewelry pieces.
• Tiaras are worn at events with a white tie dress code, excluding events in hotels.
• Any woman can wear a tiara to events with a white tie dress code, regardless of title.
• Traditionally, young women only wore tiaras after marriage, usually owned by their birth family.
• Married women should wear tiaras owned by their husband's family or their own personal property.
• Unmarried princesses were allowed to wear tiaras from the age of eighteen.
• Special black tiaras made of jet, onyx, glass, or steel are worn with mourning clothes.

History of Tiaras

• The word 'tiara' originates from Persian head-dresses encircled by diadems.
• Ancient Greeks and Romans used gold to make wreath-shaped head ornaments.
• Tiaras and diadems declined with the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity.
• European princesses and queens wore crowns, and brides wore bridal crowns in the Middle Ages.
• Tiaras became popular in the late 18th century, inspired by Neoclassicism and the Empire style.

20th and 21st Century Trends

• Jugendstil and Art Nouveau blurred the line between jewelry and art.
• René Lalique and Henry Wilson created artistic tiaras.
• Tiaras became less fashionable after World War I due to social and economic changes.
• Tiaras were designed to be easy to wear with short hair during the Art Deco period.
• Tiaras briefly reappeared in the 1960s with the high-cropped beehive hairstyle.
• Tiaras are now worn almost exclusively at state banquets, royal weddings, and coronations.
• Some auction houses and jewelers have seen increased interest in tiaras in the 21st century.
• Versace made a tiara worn by Madonna.
• The Danish royal family has a tiara designed in 2009 for an exhibition.
• Tiaras are no longer required at white-tie occasions.

Collections and Costume Jewelry Tiaras

• Queen Elizabeth II has the largest and most valuable collection of tiaras.
• Many of her tiaras are heirlooms of the British royal family.
• Queen Mary purchased the Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara and had a tiara made for the Delhi Durbar.
• The Swedish, Danish, Dutch, and Spanish monarchies have tiara collections.
• The Romanov dynasty had a collection until the revolution of 1917.
• The Iranian royal family had a large collection of tiaras, now housed at the National Jewelry Museum in Tehran.
• Realistic copies may be made and worn in place of exceptionally old and valuable tiaras.
• Queen Mary of the United Kingdom wore the Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara.
• Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran had a tiara.
• The midnight tiara was made in 2009 and worn by Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.
• Tiaras made of non-precious materials are considered costume jewelry.
• They are worn on special occasions such as homecoming, prom, quinceañera, and weddings.
• Beauty pageant winners and children dressing up as Disney princesses also wear them.
• Plastic, rhinestones, and Swarovski crystals are common materials for costume jewelry tiaras.

Tiara Data Sources