A Delicate Diamond Butterfly Tiara for Luxembourg’s Hereditary Grand Duchess

February is a busy month for royal birthdays in Luxembourg! Today, we’re joining in the celebrations of Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie’s birthday with a closer look at her suite of diamond butterfly jewels.

We’re setting our bejeweled time machine back today to 2016, when the grand ducal family of Luxembourg still held their annual gala reception during the National Day celebrations in June. (It’s since been moved to January as a New Year celebration instead, to free up space in the busy late spring/early summer calendar.) The entire family was in attendance in gala gowns and tiaras for the reception. Here, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa (wearing the Belgian Scroll Tiara) pose with Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie.

Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie wore an elegant gown by Paule Ka for the gala, accessorized with sparkling diamond jewels. Her tiara and earrings feature diamonds set in modern butterfly and flower designs.

The tiara and matching earrings were made by Van Cleef & Arpels. This 2016 gala was Stephanie’s second outing in the set, after an appearance at the National Day gala in 2014. I’ve read some speculation that the suite could have been one of Stephanie’s wedding gifts. The jewels are perhaps best suited for a very young princess, so it feels appropriate that in recent years Stephanie has graduated to wearing more important tiaras and jewels from the grand ducal vaults for the annual gala reception.

With the modern suite of butterfly jewels, Stephanie also wore an elegant diamond ribbon brooch.

Here’s a closer view. The brooch features a diamond bow with a central trailing ribbon, which has diamonds set in a chevron pattern that terminates in a small diamond fringe. I don’t have any provenance information to share about the jewel, but it certainly looks like an Art Deco design to me.