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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Olympic Pearls for Masako

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Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako bid farewell to Japan’s Olympic athletes (Photo: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako of Japan attended the official send-off for Japan’s Olympic team in Tokyo on Sunday. For the occasion, Masako wore pearls — the usual daytime jewelry of choice for the women of the Japanese imperial family.

Photo: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images

Masako’s earrings look like mabe pearls, similar to the (costume) earrings worn recently by the Duchess of Cambridge. She paired the earrings with a simple, classic single-stranded pearl necklace.

Photo: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images

And here’s a look at the lovely diamond and pearl ring that Masako wore on her right hand.

The Top Ten: Royal Pearl Tiaras

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Queen Elizabeth II wears the Vladimir Tiara (Photo: KIERAN DOHERTY/AFP/Getty Images)
As June winds down, it’s time to pay another tribute to this month’s birthstone, the elegant pearl. Today, I’m counting down my top ten tiaras that include pearls and are currently worn by royals. Let us know in the comments which tiaras make your top ten!

10. The Pearl Sunburst Tiara
One of the Japanese imperial family’s many tiaras set with “white” gemstones is this magnificent, modern diamond and pearl sunburst tiara. So far, it’s been worn by both Empress Michiko and Crown Princess Masako.
Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Now owned by Princess Benedikte, this nineteenth-century tiara features a dramatic set of alternating pearl and diamond-star toppers.
Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images
This pearly tiara may be a replica of the original, but it still packs a lot of sparkle into its convertible frame. Queen Sonja is usually the wearer of the full version, but she also shares the smaller version with Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Martha Louise.

This pearl tiara was patterned after one owned by Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge — and now it’s worn by the current Duchess of Cambridge. The most famous wearer of the tiara, however, will probably always be Diana, Princess of Wales.
Photo: Michel Porro/Getty Images

This tiara was designed to mimic the shape of one that belonged to Anna Pavlovna, wife of King Willem II; its pear-shaped pearls belonged to a seventeenth-century Dutch princess. The tiara resides in the Dutch royal family’s jewel foundation, which means that all of the royal ladies have handy access to it.

Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois — mother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco — ordered this pearl and diamond sparkler from Cartier in 1949. She famously wore it at her son’s pre-wedding gala in 1956, but today, it is more commonly worn by her granddaughter, Princess Caroline.

Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark frequently wears this heirloom pearl tiara, which was made in 1825 for Princess Louise of the Netherlands. It meandered through the line of Louise’s descendants, through the Swedish and Danish royal family, before Queen Louise of Denmark placed it in a trust in 1926. Today, the tiara is worn exclusively by Queen Margrethe. 
Photo: GERO BRELOER/AFP/Getty Images
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands wore this grand diamond and pearl tiara, which was made in 1897, at her wedding in 1966. The versatile tiara has multiple settings, and because it is in the family’s jewel foundation, it can also be worn by multiple royal women. Queen Maxima debuted the tiara in Japan in 2014.
Photo: DAVE CHAN/AFP/Getty Images
Likely made by Bolin for Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (wife of Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia) in the late nineteenth-century, this tiara was rescued from post-revolution Russia by a British diplomat. Queen Mary later purchased it and had it adjusted so that it could also be worn with the Cambridge emerald drops. Today, Queen Elizabeth II wears it three different ways: with the original pearls, the emeralds, and “widowed” (i.e., with no drops at all).
Photo: ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images
One of my favorite tiaras of all time, this diamond and pearl sparkler was made by Cartier for Queen Ena of Spain — using gemstones from a tiara given to Ena by her mother-in-law! The tiara could originally also be worn with emeralds, but today, it’s worn only with pearls. After making its way through the Spanish royal family, it resides today in Queen Sofia’s jewelry box.

This Week in Royal Tiaras: April 29-May 5

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April 29 – May 5, 2016

With such a a jewel-packed week, one poll won’t cover it! We’re looking at my top ten tiaras of the week, all of which were worn at the King of Sweden’s birthday gala, in this bonus post. Be sure to vote for your favorite in the poll below!

10. Margarita of Romania, daughter of the country’s last king, wore her family’s greek key tiara.

Photo: HENRIK MONTGOMERY/AFP/Getty Images

9. Princess Takamado, part of the Japanese imperial family, wore her diamond bandeau with a laurel-leaf design.

8, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore the Boucheron Laurel Wreath Tiara, a piece that has been worn by Swedish princesses for more than a century.

7. Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg paid tribute to her Swedish cousin by wearing Queen Sofia’s Star and Pearl Tiara, a Swedish heirloom.

Photo: CHRISTINE OLSSON/AFP/Getty Images

6. Benedikte’s sister, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, also wore a Swedish heirloom jewel: the Baden Palmette Tiara.

5. Kelly of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha wore the family’s unusual heirloom diamond and turquoise tiara with jewels from the coordinating parure.

4. We had a rare glimpse of one tiara with royal connections: the Douglas Floral Tiara, worn by Princess Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria. Elisabeth was born Countess Elisabeth Douglas; her father’s family are members of the Swedish nobility. The tiara is notable because it was worn by her daughter, now Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, at her wedding.

Photo: CHRISTINE OLSSON/AFP/Getty Images

3. Queen Silvia of Sweden wore another tiara with a century-long Swedish heritage: the Connaught Diamond Tiara.

Photo: 

2. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands wore one of the grandest Dutch royal tiaras (and her wedding tiara), the Wurttemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara.

1. My top vote may be a bit unexpected, but hear me out: Queen Louise’s Diamond Tiara (worn by its owner, Princess Desiree) is small, and its history in the Bernadotte family isn’t as long as many other pieces, but we haven’t seen it in forever. This vote celebrates a tiara emerging from the vaults! (Also: you get a bonus Baden Fringe sighting here. You’re welcome!)