Diamond Tiara Tournament: Meiji vs Prussian

This contest pairs up tiaras from Japan and Spain!

This classic diamond tiara was the first important Western-style diadem worn by the Empresses of Japan. Since the late nineteenth century, all Japanese empresses have worn the tiara, which has a set of interchangeable round and star diamond toppers. Today, the tiara is worn by Empress Masako.

The jewelers at Koch made this neoclassical tiara for Princess Viktoria Luise, the only daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, in 1913. The miniature diamond and platinum kokoshnik features laurel wreaths, columns, and a meander base. Viktoria Luise’s daughter, Friederike, brought the tiara with her to Greece; her daughter, Sofia, brought it to Spain. It’s been used twice as a bridal diadem, most recently by Queen Letizia.