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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Jewels in Motion: The Baden Fringe Tiara

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Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

When it comes to tiaras set with dazzling diamonds, still photographs often don’t do the jewels justice. Today, we’ve got a look at one of the Swedish royal family’s sparkliest diamond diadems, the Baden Fringe Tiara, in glorious motion!

The tiara sparkled on Crown Princess Victoria for the annual Nobel Prize presentations in Stockholm on December 10, 2014.

For that occasion, she wore the tiara with a bright red gown and accessorized with other diamond and ruby jewels from the family vaults. (Read more about her jewels from the event here!)

In May 2017, Victoria chose the tiara for a glittering gala in Oslo celebrating the 80th birthdays of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. She wore the tiara with the family’s Diamond Epaulette Earrings (more here!) and Diamond Lozenge Brooch for the occasion.

During the dinner, the tiara gleamed as she answered a cheeky interview question posed by Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway. (He asked her why the Swedes weren’t better or faster on skis; she responded, “But Magnus, we’re pretty good, aren’t we?”)

In May 2018, we got a rare view of the back of the tiara in motion during the gala celebrations for the 50th birthday of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

We got an excellent view of the tiara’s substantial glitter in December during the 2019 Nobel Prize festivities.

Crown Princess Victoria wore the tiara with a black and white gown and even more family diamonds. (Get a rundown of her jewels here!)

The candlelight at the annual Nobel Banquet really lets the diamonds sparkle to the best of their ability.

We also get a cameo in a few of these images from another sparkling Swedish jewel: Queen Sofia’s Tiara, worn for the banquet by Queen Silvia. (More on her jewels here!)

And, just for fun, let’s wrap things up with a sparkly throwback: Queen Louise of Sweden glittering in the Baden Fringe Tiara and even more diamonds for the Nobel Prize presentation in 1964!

The Court Jeweller Book Club: January 2020

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The Court Jeweller

Before January flies away, we’ve got to take a moment to sit down and chat about what we’ve all been reading! In this month’s installment of The Court Jeweller Book Club, I’ve got six intriguing books to share with all of you…

Over the past few weeks, I’ve delved into several books with royal and jewelry-related themes. Cartier’s Hope (Atria, February 2020), the latest novel by M.J. Rose, is a mystery centered on a very familiar stone: the Hope Diamond. Reporter Vera Garland writes about the jewels worn in society as she delves into family secrets — and decides to use the famous diamond to help right a serious wrong. It’s a quick, entertaining read set in the midst of the world of Edwardian New York.

Another family historical locale — the French Riviera in the 1930s — is the setting and subject of Anne de Courcy’s latest, Chanel’s Riviera (St. Martin’s, February 2020). The book isn’t really a biography of Chanel; it merely uses familiar figures like Chanel and the Windsors as a way to introduce the reader to the Riviera. The book traces the rise of the area as a place of glamor, as well as the changes that quickly followed with the outbreak of war. I really enjoyed this one!

I also enjoyed Catherine Curzon’s latest royal history book, Sophia: Mother of Kings (Pen and Sword, January 2020). She tells the story of one of the most pivotal figures in the history of the British succession, Sophia, Electress of Hanover. At times, the complicated family ties can feel a little overwhelming (a whole lot of the people discussed have such similar names!) but it’s wonderful to get a focused biography on someone who was at the heart of so much royal change.

I also thought you might like a look at my royal to-read pile. I’m really excited to read Graham Viney’s The Last Hurrah (Robinson, February 2020), which focuses on one of the most important royal tours of Queen Elizabeth II’s life: her family’s 1947 tour of Southern Africa. (That’s the tour where Elizabeth turned 21 and made her famous speech about duty.) The post-war tour had such an impact on the way the Queen views her reign and the Commonwealth, and I can’t wait to learn even more about it.

Adrian Tinniswood is one of my favorite writers on the subject of British aristocrats and country houses, and I’ve just ordered a copy of his latest, The House Party (Faber and Faber, November 2019). The book clocks in at a slim 176 pages, and it promises to be a concise, quick history of the weekend parties that were the center of the royal and aristocratic social scene a century ago.

I was also sent a review copy of Allison Pataki’s new novel, The Queen’s Fortune (Ballantine, February 2020), which dramatizes the life of Desiree Clary, the former fiancee of Napoleon who ended up becoming Queen of Sweden. I’ve always been fascinated by Desiree, and I’m very excited to read Pataki’s fictional take on her very interesting real life!

That’s a roundup of some of my recent royal reads and recommendations, now it’s your turn! What have you been reading lately?

Note: Some links on this website are Amazon affiliate links. I put all money that I receive from these affiliate links back into materials for review on the site, so if you want to read more reviews, please consider purchasing items through the affiliate links in this post and throughout the site. Thanks, everybody!



This Fortnight in Royal Jewels: January 3-16

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January 3-16, 2020
From glittering galas to diplomatic receptions, the new year is starting off with a range of royal jewels. Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS – WPA Pool/Getty Images
30. For a visit to Canada House in London on January 7, the Duchess of Sussex wore a pair of golden swallow earrings by Catherine Zoraida.

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29. Classic golden hoops accompanied Princess Margriet of the Netherlands to a new year reception at the palace in Amsterdam on January 14. (More over here!)
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28. Queen Letizia of Spain wore her gold bamboo hoops for audiences at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on January 14.
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27. For a visit to a clinic dedicated to addiction treatment and recovery counseling in Ugchelen on January 8, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wore oversized gold hoop earrings.
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26. For an official visit to Bradford on January 15, including a stop at the Khidmat Centre, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a pair of beaded earrings from Pakistani brand Zeen. (More on the earrings here!)
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25. Princess Stephanie of Monaco wore a trio of diamond studs in each ear to mark the opening of the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival on January 14.
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24. For a football match at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco on January 15, Princess Stephanie wore diamond earrings and a patriotic red beaded bracelet.
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23. The Duchess of Rothesay, who is chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, wore her favorite pearl drop earrings as she awarded an honorary degree to her sister-in-law, the Princess Royal, on January 14.
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22. To receive her honorary degree from the University of Aberdeen on January 14, the Princess Royal wore modest pearl, gold, and diamond jewels.
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21. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden chose simple diamond stud earrings for a memorial service on January 15 in Stockholm honoring the victims of Ukrainian Airlines flight that went down in Iran. 
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20. Oversized golden button earrings, plus her golden bracelet with heart-shaped gems, accompanied Queen Mathilde of the Belgians to the J and Joy Fashion Headquarters in Waremme on January 15.
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19. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands wore a ring and earrings featuring pearls with a black border for a new year reception in Amsterday on January 14. (More here!)
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18. Kate chose her classic diamond and sapphire cluster drop earrings to attend church near Sandringham on January 5. (More on the earrings here!)
BENOIT DOPPAGNE/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images
17. Princess Astrid of Belgium wore a pair of sparkling earrings for the opening of the Brussels Motor Show on January 9.
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16. Queen Mathilde dazzled in diamonds on January 9 for a new year’s reception at the Royal Palace in Brussels.
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15. Princess Tsuguko of Takamado wore jewels that deviated a little from the Japanese imperial uniform — earrings with delicate drops, a necklace with a gold pendant, and a round brooch — for the annual new year lectures at the palace in Tokyo on January 14.
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14. For the new year lectures in Tokyo, Princess Yoko of Mikasa stuck with the traditional family daytime jewels: pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, and a brooch.
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13. Princess Akiko of Mikasa wore a long pearl necklace, pearl drop earrings with an embellished diamond stud, and a delicate, detailed brooch for the new year lectures on January 14.
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12. For the new year lectures in Japan, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa wore long pearl drop earrings, a sautoir-style necklace with a double row of pearls, and an intricate diamond and pearl bar brooch.
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11. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom chose the Bird of Paradise Jubilee Brooch for church near the Sandringham estate on January 12. (More on the brooch here!)
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10. For a new year’s reception at the palace in Amsterdam on January 14, Queen Maxima wore her tanzanite earrings and a matching ring, as well as tennis bracelets set with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. (More here!)
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9. On January 15, Queen Maxima repeated the same jewels for a reception for the diplomatic corps at the palace, as well as adding another gold and diamond bracelet to the stack.
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8. Princess Takamado glittered at the annual new year lectures in Tokyo in sparkling earrings, a pearl choker necklace, and an elaborate pearl and diamond brooch.
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7. Empress Masako of Japan was radiant in pearl and diamond earrings and a pearl and diamond ribbon brooch for the annual new year lectures on January 14. (As a sidenote: the Akishino family was also in attendance at the lectures, but their location in the room didn’t offer us a good look at their jewels, other than that they all wore the usual pearls and brooches.)
NIELS CHRISTIAN VILMANN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images
6. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wore pieces from her turquoise collection to welcome the premier of Schleswig-Holstein for an audience on January 10. (More over here!)
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5. Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg wore pearls and gold jewelry for a gala concert in Copenhagen on January 10 to celebrate the centennial year of the reunification of southern Denmark.
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4. The Kent Amethyst Brooch accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to church near Sandringham on January 5. (More on the brooch here!)
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3. Queen Letizia traditionally chooses heirloom jewels for Pascua Militar, and for this year’s commemorations, she wore the Countess of Barcelona’s sapphire, diamond, and pearl earrings. (Much more here!)
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2. On January 12, Queen Margrethe II wore her signature Diamond Daisy Brooch with diamond and ruby earrings for a memorial service at Copenhagen Cathedral on the occasion of the centennial year for reunification of southern Denmark. (More on the brooch here!)
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1. My top vote of the week had to go to a rare appearance from the famous Golden Poppies, worn by Queen Margrethe II on January 10 for the gala concert celebrating the centennial year of the reunification of southern Denmark. (More on the unusual jewels here!)

A quick note: the tiaras worn in Luxembourg late Thursday haven’t been left out deliberately — they arrived after the post deadline and will be featured this weekend here on the blog!