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Archives for September 2017

Jewels in Motion: The Crown of Scotland

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Ian Stewart/AFP/Getty Images
Our look at the glittering details of various crown jewels continues today with a close-up view of one of the most historic crowns in Britain: the Crown of Scotland.

The crown is displayed with the Honours of Scotland in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle. It shares a display case with three other very important Scottish objects: the Sceptre of Scotland, the Sword of State, and the Stone of Scone. That stone, also known as the “Stone of Destiny,” resided in Westminster Abbey until 1996. The stone is used in the coronation of British monarchs, and it will be returned to the Abbey for the next coronation, whenever that may be.
The crown and the other Honours of Scotland have been successfully hidden multiple times to prevent them from being stolen or destroyed. They have survived both Cromwell and World War II, so it should come as no surprise that they’re the oldest surviving set of crown jewels in Britain.
The current crown was made in 1540 for King James V of Scotland, father of Mary, Queen of Scots. Gold from a previous version of the crown was melted down and reused for the construction of this crown, and some of the gems from the earlier version were also recycled.
The crown is usually displayed with a red velvet cap; its arches, which meet at a monde and cross, are more visible with the cap removed.
Gemstones set in the crown include Scottish freshwater pearls, garnets, and amethysts.
The Crown of Scotland is not generally worn today, but it is brought out of its display for important Scottish events, including the opening of parliament. You can read much more about the crown in our recent article over here!

The Japanese Crown Princely Wedding Tiara

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AFP/Getty Images

With news of an upcoming royal wedding in Japan, let’s have a look at the grand tiara worn at two of the most important imperial weddings of the 20th century, shall we? This tiara goes by various names, but because of its key role in these two ceremonies, I call it the Japanese Crown Princely Wedding Tiara.

AFP/Getty Images

The tiara’s dominant elements are the large, curling diamond scrolls that make up the majority of the piece. Diamond ribbons trail through the base of the scrolls, and small floral-esque buttons sit at the point where the scrolls meet. (The buttons are a little reminiscent, I think, of chrysanthemums, an important symbol of the Japanese monarchy.)

Embed from Getty Images

The first imperial bride to wear the tiara on her wedding day was Michiko Shoda. She wed Crown Prince Akihito of Japan in April 1959. The bride and groom at Japanese imperial weddings make a costume change: they wear both traditional Japanese attire and Western clothing as part of the festivities.

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For the Western-style part of her wedding, which included a carriage procession through the streets of Tokyo, Michiko wore this diamond tiara and its matching necklace. Akihito and Michiko are now the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images

Several decades later, another crown princely bride stepped up to wear the wedding tiara and its accompanying necklace. Masako Owada, a highly-educated Japanese diplomat, married Akihito and Michiko’s elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito, in June 1993. Like her mother-in-law, she wore the tiara and necklace during the portion of the wedding festivities when she wore Western-style clothing.

AFP/Getty Images

Since her wedding, Crown Princess Masako has favored a different tiara, the Pearl Sunburst, for gala occasions.

TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images

As of May 2019, the tiara has a new wearer: Crown Princess Kiko, the wife of the heir presumptive to the throne.

This Week in Royal Jewels: September 1-7

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September 1-7, 2017
It was a blockbuster week for royal news, and we’ve got lots of royal jewels on the docket, too! Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
Olivier Matthys/Getty Images
10. Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore a pair of her trademark golden statement earrings for a performance of the opera Pinnochio in Brussels on Tuesday. 

Anders Wiklund/AFP/Getty Images
9. A delicate dragonfly brooch was Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden’s accessory of choice on Monday for the official announcement of the full name and title of her new nephew, Prince Gabriel. (Much more over here!)
Anders Wiklund/AFP/Getty Images
8. Prince Gabriel’s grandmother, Queen Silvia of Sweden, chose multicolored pearls for a Te Deum service in his honor on Monday. (More over here!)
AFP/Getty Images
7. In Zoetermeer, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands wore her massive green and silver statement necklace with coordinating earrings for Monday’s Literacy Week launch.
Shizuo Kambayashi/AFP/Getty Images
6. Princess Mako of Akishino was luminous in pearls and a mixed-metals floral brooch for the official announcement of her engagement to Kei Komura on Sunday in Tokyo. (Much more, including the wedding details we know, over here!)
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
5. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and her daughter, Princess Anne, both wore large brooches for the annual Braemar Gathering on Saturday. (See a closer view of each brooch over here!)

4. For a dinner celebrating the tenth anniversary of her charitable foundation, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark chose a modern suite of jewelry.
Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images
3. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands glittered in blue gemstones with diamonds and moonstones for a gala dinner benefiting the children’s cancer center that bears her name. (Much more, including jewelry close-ups, over here!)
Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool/Getty Images
2. Queen Mary’s Thistle Brooch, a little seen diamond treasure from the royal vaults, was Queen Elizabeth II’s choice for the official opening of the new Queensferry Crossing near Edinburgh on Monday. (See close-ups of the brooch over here!)
1. My top vote of the week goes to an unexpected wedding tiara choice! Princess Marie Gabrielle of Nassau, niece of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, borrowed the Grand Duchess Adelaide Tiara for her wedding in Marbella over the weekend. (More on this tiara’s lengthy history over here!)