Crown Princess Victoria’s Amazing Nobel Amethysts

On December 10, 2009, Crown Princess Victoria wore a deep purple gown by Elie Saab for the annual Nobel Prize ceremony and banquet in Stockholm. The gown features a decorative ruffle on the right shoulder. As always, the light blue sash of the Order of the Seraphim, plus the order’s diamond-studded star, were attached to the gown. Victoria also wore her father’s Royal Family Order, which is also attached to a blue ribbon.

Victoria wore metallic accessories, including a silver clutch bag, with the ensemble.

She finished off the look with some major royal heirloom jewels. The spotlight piece was the Diamond Six-Button Tiara, which the Swedish royals often call “the Karl Johan Tiara.” That’s because the diamond buttons used in the piece once adorned an important Swedish royal crown. They were attached to the crown worn by King Carl XIV Johan, who was born Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, at his coronation in 1818. He was the founder of the current royal dynasty, so you can imagine that any jewelry associated with him is very significant to the family.

The buttons are more than 200 years old, but the tiara is relatively new. It was made around the time that Princess Lilian married Prince Bertil in the 1970s, and for years, it was one of her most-worn royal jewels. All of the present ladies of the family have worn the piece, too.

Victoria paired the tiara with another suite of jewels that also dates to the early nineteenth century. The Napoleonic Amethyst Parure came to Sweden with Josephine of Leuchtenberg in the 1820s, and it’s been in the vaults ever since. For the Nobels in 2009, Victoria wore the classic earrings and necklace from the set. (The necklace is essentially a pair of bracelets clipped together, and the piece can still be taken apart and worn in bracelet form.)

Victoria secured the Seraphim sash with another piece from the amethyst parure. This classic diamond and amethyst cluster brooch was originally a link in the large convertible necklace/tiara from the suite.

Victoria finished off the look with a pair of modern bracelets and her engagement ring. She married Daniel Westling (now Prince Daniel of Sweden) in a glittering ceremony in June 2010.