Queen Maxima’s Garnet Tassel Earrings

Willem-Alexander and Maxima participate in a water pageant after his inauguration ceremony, April 2013 (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

As January draws to a close, it’s time for a celebration of the month’s lovely birthstone, the rich and wonderful garnet. Our spotlight today shines on the garnet and diamond tassel earrings worn by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

Maxima visits the Center for Youth and Family in The Hague, March 2017 (LEX VAN LIESHOUT/AFP/Getty Images)

Maxima’s earrings are both bold and simple in design. They feature numerous disc-like gemstone beads. The luminosity and color of the stones indicate that the beads are most likely small garnets.

Maxima attends a press conference at the presidential residence in Buenos Aires, October 2016 (JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images)

The garnet beads are strung together to form strands, which are gathered into a tassel-shape by a trio of pave-set diamond bands.

Maxima visits the Presidential Palace in Berlin, April 2011 (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

The earrings have been in Maxima’s jewelry box for a number of years. She began wearing them when she was still Princess Maxima. Above, during a visit to Germany in 2011, she pairs them with a diamond scroll brooch that belonged to Queen Wilhelmina.

Maxima attends the opening the 10th International Hands On! Conference in Amsterdam, October 2015 (Michel Porro/Getty Images)

Maxima often wears the earrings with her favorite dramatic picture hats, and they do provide a pleasant extra bit of visual weight with the angled chapeaux.

Maxima welcomes the Greek president to the Noordeinde Palace, July 2016 (Michel Porro/Getty Images)

She often wears the earrings with clothing in various shades of pink, including dark berry and blush.

Maxima visits the Center for Youth and Family in The Hague, March 2017 (LEX VAN LIESHOUT/AFP/Getty Images)

Here, the earrings are part of a monochrome look with a wine-colored coat and matching hat, worn during a visit from the President and First Lady of Argentina in 2017.

Maxima and Mathilde visit the Combiwel welfare organisation in Amsterdam, November 2016 (FRANK VAN BEEK/AFP/Getty Images)

And here, the earrings coordinate with the dark berry-colored velvet portion of her ensemble, worn during a state visit from King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians.

Maxima speaks during the launch of the Philippines’ National Strategy for Financial Inclusion, July 2015 (NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images)

But occasionally, Maxima uses the earrings for contrast, as she did with this orange ensemble in the Philippines in 2015.

Maxima arrives at the Binnenhof in The Hague for the annual Prinsjesdag ceremonies, September 2015 (REMKO DE WAAL/AFP/Getty Images)

The earrings are substantial and glittering enough to be worn with formal wear as well as more casual ensembles. One of my very favorite appearances of the earrings came on Prinsjesdag in 2015, when Maxima wore them with a stunning gown by Jan Taminiau. The delicate embroidery on the dress was inspired by the Japanese room at the Huis ten Bosch Palace.

Maxima waves during the water pageant on her husband’s inauguration day, April 2013 (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Maxima also wore the earrings on one of the most important days of her life: the inauguration of her husband, King Willem-Alexander, as monarch. She chose the earrings for the water pageant held in the evening after the inauguration ceremonies, pairing them with diamonds from the family vaults.