Floral Tiara Tournament: Ruby Olive vs Bonaparte Olive

Which Greek royal olive wreath is your favorite?

This ruby and diamond tiara, designed to resemble an olive wreath, first belonged to Queen Olga of the Hellenes. They were later bequeathed to her son, Prince Nicholas, and worn by his daughters, Princesses Olga and Marina. After being bought back by King Paul, the tiara has stayed with the main line of the family, and is now worn by Queen Anne-Marie.

This diamond tiara was designed around 1907 by Cartier for Princess Marie Bonaparte, who married a Greek prince. The wreath of pave-set diamond olive leaves is studded with eleven cushion-shaped diamond “olives,” which can be swapped for other stones. The wreath design, popular during the reign of Napoleon, and the olive motif, so connected to the Greeks, united Marie’s French imperial heritage with her new Greek royal status. Today, the tiara belongs to the Albion Art Institute.