Thailand – Page 7

14 of the Biggest Royal Diamonds

01.30.2017 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

The Dresden Green Diamond (NORBERT MILLAUER/AFP/Getty Images)

As January draws to a close, it’s only right that we have one last major celebration of the iciest of all gemstones, the diamond. Today, we’re looking at fourteen of the largest diamonds from royal collections around the world. Some are still owned by royals today, while others have ended up in other hands, but they all have one thing in common: major, major sparkle.

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14. The Stuart Diamond: With a history that begins at the English court of King William III and Queen Mary, this light blue-green, 39.75 carat diamond is one of the most important pieces in the Dutch royal collection. For a century, it’s been set in a tiara (worn above by Queen Juliana), but it hasn’t been seen in public in decades.

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13. The Dresden Green Diamond: Part of the Saxon crown jewels, this remarkable green diamond weighs in at 40.70 carats. It’s on display today, set in a hat clasp ornament, in the New Green Vault at Dresden Castle.

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12. The Sancy Diamond: This 55.23 carat pale yellow diamond has a lengthy royal history; at various times, it was part of the crown jewel collections of Portugal, France, and England. Nancy Astor wore it in her grand diamond tiara a century ago, but today, it is on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

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11. The Noor-al-Ain Diamond: This pink diamond, which weighs approximately 60 carats, was originally mined in India. The “light of the eye” was captured by an 18th-century Persian king and has been in Iran ever since. Harry Winston set it in a tiara for Farah Pahlavi in 1958; that tiara is on display today at the Central Bank in Tehran.

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10. The Hope Diamond: It’s generally believed that this famously “cursed” diamond is actually the French Blue, which belonged to the French royal family until it was stolen during the Reign of Terror. Originally measuring 67.125 carats, the stone was later cut down to its present size, 45.52 carats. Today, it’s on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

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9. The Archduke Joseph Diamond: This 76.02 carat diamond takes its name from its first recorded owner, Archduke Joseph August of Austria. Sold just before World War II, the diamond has been auctioned several times, and is now in a private collection.

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8. The Shah Diamond: The Russian Diamond Fund, which is housed in the Kremlin, includes this unusual diamond. Weighing 88.7 carats, the stone is engraved with the names of three of its owners in Persian. It arrived in the Russian imperial jewel collection as a goodwill offering (or bribe, depending how you look at it) in 1829.

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7. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond: Today, this diamond (whose name means “mountain of light”) lives in the Tower of London, where it is set in the Queen Mother’s Crown. Queen Victoria received the gem as a gift in 1849, although the terms of that offering are still controversial today. Prince Albert had the stone recut to its present weight, 105.602 carats, in 1852.

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6. The Regent Diamond: An English merchant, Thomas Pitt, sold this diamond, which was mined in India, to Philippe, Duke of Orleans (then the French Regent) in 1717. The 140.64 carat diamond was worn by various French kings — and Napoleon Bonaparte, too — and eventually set in a tiara for Empress Eugenie. Today, it is on display in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

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5. The Darya-i-Noor Diamond: Another gem from the crown jewel collection of Iran, this pink diamond (whose name means “sea of light”) weighs about 182 carats. It’s on display today at the Central Bank in Tehran.

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4. The Orloff Diamond: The Russian Diamond Fund also includes this incredible 189.62 carat diamond. It was presented to Catherine the Great by one of her lovers, Count Grigory Orloff. She had a scepter constructed specifically for the diamond in 1784.

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3. The Cullinan II Diamond: One of nine major diamonds cut from the gargantuan Cullinan Diamond, the Cullinan II weighs 317.4 carats. Also called the Second Star of Africa, the diamond is part of the British crown jewels. You can see it at the Tower of London in the Imperial State Crown, where it’s set just below the Black Prince’s Ruby.

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2. The Cullinan I Diamond: The largest of the diamonds sourced from the Cullinan, this stone measures 530.2 carats. It’s the largest clear cut diamond in the world. Also called the Great Star of Africa, the diamond is set in the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, which resides at the Tower of London with the rest of the British crown jewels.

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1. The Golden Jubilee Diamond: The largest cut diamond in the world, this yellow-brown stone clocks in at 545.67 carats. It was offered to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand as a Golden Jubilee gift, and it’s still a part of the Thai crown jewel collection today.

Queen Sirikit’s Diamond Fringe Tiara

10.20.2016 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

Queen Sirikit’s Diamond Fringe Tiara (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

As Thailand continues to mourn the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, images of the monarch and his consort are prevelant throuhgout the country and other parts of the world. Many of these portraits feature an important jewel from the Thai royal vaults: the family’s diamond fringe.

I love when royals are inventive with their jewels, and Queen Sirikit’s use of her gorgeous diamond fringe tiara definitely fits that bill. The tiara is designed in a traditional Russian style; most royal families have at least one of these tiaras, which are meant to resemble the kokoshnik headdresses worn by women in Russia. Over the years, the queen has worn the fringe both in that kokoshnik-esque halo form, stretching around her head, and bunched tightly atop her head like a crown, a traditional Thai way of wearing a diadem.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Although, like many other Asian royal families, the Thai royals only began wearing Western-style tiaras relatively recently, the family today has an extensive and impressive collection of jewels. This particular tiara is reportedly one of the most important pieces in the vaults, having apparently been owned by Queen Saovabha Bongsri, who became the first female regent of the country in 1897. Indeed, many of the portraits of Queen Sirikit depict her wearing this tiara, underscoring its significance.

Queen Rambhai Barni wears the tiara

Sirikit isn’t the only Thai royal lady who has worn the tiara. Queen Saovabha Bongsri’s daughter-in-law, Queen Rambhai Barni, wore the tiara in the 1920s. Above, you can see her wearing it à la Josephine — across the forehead in the trendy bandeau style of the time. Princess Bejaratana, the only daughter of King Vajiravudh, also wore the tiara.

Photo: STF/AFP/Getty Images

Like many diamond fringes, the tiara can also be worn as a necklace. Above, Sirikit wears it in necklace form with a traditional Thai tiara at the opera in Paris in 1960.

Sirikit wore the diamond fringe at gala events throughout her late husband’s reign. Unfortunately, Sirikit’s health has declined in recent years; she suffered a stroke in 2012, and she rarely makes public appearances. But images of her wearing the tiara are prevalent in the country, and it has become a familiar symbol of her royal position.

Note: This is an updated version of an earlier post, with new text and images.

Royal Jewel Rewind: King of Thailand’s Diamond Jubilee, Part 2

10.18.2016 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

The Sultan of Brunei, the King of Thailand, and the King of Sweden at the reception (Photo: Pool/Getty Images)

Yesterday, we marveled at the jewels worn during the first evening reception celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of the late King of Thailand in 2006. Today, here’s a look at the second reception, held at the Royal Palace, tiaras and all!

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Queen Sirikit of Thailand glittered in diamonds from the top of her head to the tips of her fingers at the reception. The tiara is convertible and can also be worn as a necklace. She wears the sash and star of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri. King Bhumibol Adulyadej also wears the sash, star, and collar of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri, along with numerous other decorations.

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Here’s a look at the back of Queen Sirikit’s tiara, visible as she and her husband greet King Abdullah II of Jordan. Because Abdullah does not have a Thai order, he wears the sash of his highest Jordanian order, the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali.

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Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who is the equivalent of a princess royal in Thailand, does not wear tiaras, but she managed to sparkle quite effectively anyway. She wears the collar and sash of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri. Over the top of the yellow order sash, she has layered an ornamental chain — I think this is the “chaing” that forms a part of traditional Thai costume. (Please correct me if I’m wrong about that.) Also: that “brooch” on her shoulder is the star of the Order of the Nine Gems.

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The Sultan of Brunei attended the reception, wearing the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn. His wife, Queen Saleha, wore major, major diamonds, including a tall tiara. Like many royal consorts (and other royals who weren’t heads of state at the time), she also wore the Order of Chula Chom Klao.

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Queen Saleha’s tiara is also visible in the photo above; she’s speaking with the woman who was Queen of Malaysia in 2006: Tuanku Fauziah, wife of Sirajuddin of Perlis. She’s wearing major diamonds, plus Malaysia’s Order of the Crown of the Realm. In the foreground is Queen Nothando, one of the wives of King Mswati III of Swaziland. She’s wearing the Royal Household Order of Swaziland.

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King Mswati wore the Military Order of Swaziland. On his right, King Letsie III of Lesotho wears the Order of Moshoeshoe.

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The Duke of York wore the sash of the Order of the Garter. He’s also wearing the stars of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Order, plus the badge of the RVO around his neck. Also, interestingly, if you look at the right-hand side of his row of medals, you’ll find the small ribbon and badge of one of his only foreign orders: the Norwegian Order of St. Olav.

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Also wearing the Order of St. Olav: Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. Mette-Marit wore the tiara and earrings from the family’s amethyst parure; on her left hand, she’s also wearing a ring with a large blue stone.

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The Duke and Duchess of Brabant (now King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians) also lack a Thai order, so they wore the Order of Leopold. Mathilde sparkled in her laurel wreath tiara, plus diamonds at her ears and on her wrist. Behind them, Prince Henrik of Denmark wears the Order of Chula Chom Klao.

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The Prince of Orange (now King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands) also wore the Order of Chula Chom Klao. Princess (now Queen) Maxima wore the family’s enormous diamond bandeau with one of the Dutch East Indies Bracelets. She wore her highest Dutch order, the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

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Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg wore his highest Luxembourgish order, the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau.

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Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein wore the sash and star of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein. He’s walking here with Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Taimur Al Said, nephew of the Sultan of Oman, and Crown Prince (now King) Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan.

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King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia wore the Royal Order of Cambodia.

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Emperor Akihito of Japan wore the sash, collar, and star of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn, plus the star of the Order of the Chrysanthemum. Empress Michiko wore the sash and collar of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri with the Japanese Honeysuckle Tiara (the same tiara she wore for the previous reception).

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Prince Albert II of Monaco attended, but camera angles don’t clearly show which (if any) decorations he wore.

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Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, then the Emir of Qatar, attended with his wife, Sheikha Mozah. She wore a glittering diamond ring on her right hand.

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Queen Silvia of Sweden wore the tiara, earrings, and necklace from the Napoleonic Amethyst Parure for the reception, along with the sash and star of the Order of Chula Chom Klao, the star of the Order of the Seraphim, and her husband’s family order. King Carl XVI Gustaf wore the sash, star, and collar of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn, plus the star of the Order of the Seraphim and the necklet and badge of the Order of the Sword.

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Queen Sofia of Spain nearly stole the entire show, wearing La Buena and the diamond earrings from the joyas de pasar collection. She’s also wearing the sash and collar of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri.