Princess Beatrix’s Sparkling Sapphire Tiara

On June 3, 2014, the Dutch royals welcomed Prince Albert II of Monaco to the Netherlands. King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, and Princess Beatrix hosted a dinner in his honor at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn.

For the black-tie dinner, Princess Beatrix wore a stunning midnight blue evening gown adorned with sequins. The dazzling dress provided plenty of sparkle on its own, but she also added diamond and sapphire jewels to complete the overall look.

In her famous bouffant hairdo, Beatrix nestled the Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara. As the name suggests, this petite sparkler was made by repurposing a diamond and sapphire necklace from the family’s collection. The necklace was originally part of the collection of Queen Emma of the Netherlands, Beatrix’s great-grandmother. To transform the necklace into a tiara, a set of diamond and sapphire lozenge elements were added to the top of the piece. These sapphires came from the collection of Beatrix’s grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

Beatrix also added additional diamond and sapphire jewels to the outfit. Her necklace is a simple, classic diamond riviere from the Dutch vaults. She also wore diamond and sapphire earrings with delicate sapphire drops. At her waist, Beatrix pinned the family’s round diamond and sapphire brooch, which reportedly dates to the 1930s.

She finished off the look with a sapphire and diamond ring on her left hand, plus her engagement and wedding rings on her right hand. And, in one final heirloom jewelry touch, she wore Queen Wilhelmina’s Sapphire Bracelets, placing one on each wrist.

Here’s one more look at Beatrix’s stunning sapphires, plus a glimpse of Queen Maxima’s attire for the dinner. (She’s wearing pieces from the Dutch Emerald Parure, plus her own diamond and emerald earrings.)