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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

The Top Ten: Royal Jewel Moments of 2014

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Happy New Year, everybody! As the world counts down to 2015, it’s time for our last Top Ten post of the year. Here are my top ten royal jewel moments of 2014 — be sure to add your lists in the comments!

10. Kate’s New Emeralds
The Duchess of Cambridge surprised royal jewel lovers when she debuted a new emerald and diamond demi-parure during her visit to New York. The set, which includes earrings and a bracelet, features square-cut emeralds and yellow and white diamonds.



9. Christina in Aquamarines
In March, Princess Christina wore the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara for the first time, bolstering hopes that Princess Margaretha has perhaps chosen to reunite the piece with the main Bernadotte line.

8. Charlene Wears Tiara
The notoriously tiara-shy Princess Charlene posed for Hola! in April wearing the Ocean Tiara created for her by Van Cleef and Arpels.

7. Alexandra Wedding Brooch Outing
For only the second time in her six decades as queen, Elizabeth II wore the brooch from Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Gift Parure while on a visit to Northern Ireland in June.

6. Mathilde’s Nine Provinces Debut
Queen Mathilde wore the tiara of Belgian queens, the Nine Provinces, in public for the first time at a state banquet in March. (She’d previously worn the tiara only in an official portrait.)

5. Kate Borrows the Nizam
Kate dipped her toe further into the waters of royal heirloom jewelry in February, when Queen Elizabeth II loaned her the magnificent Nizam of Hyderabad necklace for a gala event.

4. Máxima Debuts the Württemberg
At a state banquet in Japan, Queen Máxima wore her mother-in-law’s wedding tiara, the Württemberg Ornate Pearl, for the first time.

3. Elizabeth II’s Romanov Surprise
While visiting Pope Francis at the Vatican in April, Queen Elizabeth II pulled a Romanov sapphire, gold, and diamond brooch out of the vaults for the first time.

2. New Tiara for Marie
In March, Princess Marie finally wore the silver and amethyst Flora Danica Tiara for the first time.

1. Joyas de Pasar Farewell
Shortly before her husband’s abdication, Queen Sofia wore the jewels of the Spanish queen, the joyas de pasar, for a final time.

Year in Review: The Tiaras of 2014

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It’s that time of year again, everyone — break out the champagne and settle in for yet another year in review post! Let’s make our new year extra sparkly by having a look at some of the tiaras worn by royal ladies in 2014, shall we?

The Danish Emerald Parure Tiara
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, New Year’s Levée

The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, New Year’s Levée

Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara
Princess Marie of Denmark, New Year’s Levée
The Baden Palmette Tiara
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Turkish State Visit

Diamond Wedding Tiara, Pearl Setting
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Turkish State Visit

Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara
Princess Marie of Denmark, Turkish State Visit

Queen Sofia’s Star and Pearl Tiara
Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Turkish State Visit

The Antique Pearl Tiara
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Chinese State Visit

The Nine Provinces Tiara, Bandeau Setting
Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, Chinese State Visit

The Vladimir Tiara, Emerald Setting
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Irish State Visit

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Order of the Bath Service

The Dutch Emerald Parure Tiara
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Monegasque Official Visit

The Greville Tiara
The Duchess of Cornwall, State Opening of Parliament

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, French State Visit

Queen Ena’s Fleur-de-Lys Tiara
Queen Sofia of Spain, Mexican State Visit

The Spanish Floral Tiara
The Princess of Asturias, Mexican State Visit

Queen Elisabeth’s Art Deco Bandeau Tiara
Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein, Wedding to Prince Amedeo of Belgium

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Singaporean State Visit

Queen Mary’s Honeysuckle Tiara, Diamond Setting
The Duchess of Gloucester, Guildhall Banquet

The Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Japanese State Visit

The Spanish Floral Tiara
Queen Letizia of Spain, Chilean Official Visit

The Shand-Cubitt Tiara
The Duchess of Cornwall, Diplomatic Reception

The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure Tiara
Queen Silvia of Sweden, Nobel Prize Banquet

The Baden Fringe Tiara
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Nobel Prize Banquet

The Modern Fringe Tiara
Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Nobel Prize Banquet

Diamond Fleur-de-Lys Mirrored Tiara
Princess Kako of Akishino, Twentieth Birthday Audience

Birthday Jewels: Queen Silvia of Sweden

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Happy birthday to Queen Silvia of Sweden! Silvia, who turns 71 today, is the longest-serving Swedish queen, so she has had more than a few opportunity to wear pieces from the family’s immense collection of royal jewels. To celebrate her birthday, let’s look at some of her most glittering appearances during her tenure as the country’s queen.

Cameos at her wedding (June 1976)

The grand Braganza tiara and pink topazes for her first formal portrait (1976)

Jewels from Queen Sofia at her first Nobel Prize ceremony (December 1976)

Leuchtenberg sapphires at the ’78 Nobels (December 1978)

Wearing Queen Sofia’s tiara during the Mexican state visit (May 1980)

The sapphires at Versailles (June 1980)

Sapphires at the ’82 Nobels (December 1982)

Silver wedding of Margrethe and Henrik of Denmark (June 1992)

Diamonds at the ’94 Nobels (December 1994)

Wearing the Edward VII Ruby Tiara at the wedding of Prince Joachim of Denmark (November 1995)

The Connaught with the pink topazes for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 50th birthday (April 1996)

Cameos at the ’96 Nobels (December 1996)

Cut steel and diamonds for the 60th birthday of King Harald of Norway (June 1997)

Cameos for the ’98 Nobels (December 1998)
Gala held before the wedding of Alexia of Greece and Denmark (July 1999)

Connaught and topazes for the 60th birthday of Queen Margrethe of Denmark (April 2000)

Diamonds for the ’00 Nobels (December 2000)

Twenty-fifth wedding anniversary celebrations (June 2001)

Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (August 2001)

Bejeweled hair at the ’01 Nobels (December 2001)

Emeralds for the 90th birthday of Otto von Habsburg (November 2002)

Diamonds at the ’02 Nobels (December 2002)

Glittering in pink at the ’03 Nobels (December 2003)

Diamonds for the state visit to Brunei (February 2004)

Processional Jewels for Count Lennart Bernadotte’s birthday (May 2004)

Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (May 2004)

Sapphires for the ’04 Nobels (December 2004)

Connaught and pearls at a gala for the Norwegian royals (September 2005)

Modern Fringe for the state visit to Australia (November 2005)

King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 60th birthday celebrations (April 2006)

Silver wedding of Henri and Maria Teresa of Luxembourg (June 2006)

Japanese state visit gala (March 2007)

State visit to Denmark (May 2007)

King’s Dinner during the ’07 Nobels (December 2007)

Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding (June 2010)

Wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco (July 2011)

Sapphires at the ’12 Nobels (December 2012)

Princess Madeleine’s wedding (June 2013)

Diamonds at the ’13 Nobels (December 2013)

Sapphires at the ’14 Nobels (December 2014)