The Nuits Claires Tiara

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We long lamented the lack of tiaras in the jewelry box of Princess Marie of Denmark, but this year, she added a third piece to her sparkler rotation: the Nuits Claires Tiara. Thanks to a generous reader, we have some new close-up views of the tiara to enjoy today.

The Nuits Claires Tiara (Image kindly shared by Jennifer; do not reproduce!)

French-born Marie collaborated with a French firm, Maison Mauboussin, to design the new tiara. The floral diadem is made of white gold and set with 13.35 carats of diamonds and 13.35 carats of sapphires. The centerpiece of the tiara is a vivid pear-shaped Ceylon sapphire, which weighs in at 6.82 carats. In French, nuits claires translates to something like “bright nights” or “light nights” — a very appropriate name for such a sparkling evening ornament.

The Nuits Claires Tiara (Image kindly shared by Jennifer; do not reproduce!)

The tiara slopes gently from its central point down to tapered edges on either side, giving it a sort of modified kokoshnik shape.

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The tiara was made in Paris, and so was the matching ring that accompanies it. The ring is also made of diamonds and features a large sapphire central stone.

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images

Marie chose an appropriate occasion to debut the tiara: the French state visit to Denmark in August 2018. She did not purchase the tiara or the ring from the jeweler; instead, the jewels are available exclusively to her as a long-term loan, an agreement that resembles those governing the use of the Midnight Tiara and the Flora Danica Tiara.

The Nuits Claires Tiara (Image kindly shared by Jennifer; do not reproduce!)

After its appearance at the French state dinner, the Nuits Claires Tiara went on public display as a part of the major jewelry exhibition at Koldinghus. (We covered the tiaras from the exhibition here!) One of our lovely readers, Jennifer, visited the exhibition and snapped these photos for us to enjoy. She noted that the name of the tiara is especially appropriate, “as it was way more stark white in comparison [to the others on display], maybe because the diamonds are more clear white in color.”