Antique emeralds face off against diamond wings in our final contest of the week!
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| Chris Jackson/Getty Images, Hakon Mosvold Larsen/AFP via Getty Images |
The Norwegian Emerald Parure Tiara vs. Princess Astrid’s Diamond Aigrette
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| Chris Jackson/Getty Images |
The most historic set of jewelry in the Norwegian vaults, this diamond and emerald parure has its roots in the earliest part of the nineteenth century. They were handed down from Princess Augusta, Duchess of Leuchtenberg, to her daughter, Empress Amelie of Brazil. She in turn bequeathed the set to her sister, Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway, who left them to her daughter-in-law, Queen Sofia of Sweden. In 1931, Sofia passed the emeralds down to her own daughter-in-law, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden. She gave them to her daughter, Crown Princess Martha of Norway, to use as an insurance policy during her World War II exile. Happily, the family survived the war, and the emeralds remain with the main branch today, worn exuberantly by Queen Sonja.
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| Hakon Mosvold Larsen/AFP via Getty Images |
The second of Princess Astrid’s aigrette ornaments is this delicate pair of diamond-set feathered wings. Like her ruby aigrette, this jewel was originally designed to be worn with a feather plume. You’ll often see Astrid wearing this particular aigrette for state occasions in Oslo today.
We’ll have plenty of sparkling surprises coming up, plus poll results, this weekend!
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