The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

New Year Tiaras in Japan

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New Year’s reception at the Imperial Palace (YouTube screencap)

Denmark isn’t the only country with a New Year tiara tradition. For the annual reception at the Imperial Palace in Japan, the ladies wore some of their finest gems.

(YouTube screencap)

Empress Michiko no longer wears tiaras, for reasons relating to health and comfort, but she always gives us something bejeweled to gaze at for this event. This year she chose a major pearl necklace: five gorgeous strands of pearls linked by a diamond-studded clasp, which she wore elegantly positioned to one side. She also wore earrings to match.

(YouTube screencap)

As usual, several of the princesses from the imperial family stood in full court dress off to the side of the dais. Here’s a rundown from left to right. The Princess Akishino wears her wedding parure. Kiko’s elder daughter, Princess Mako, wears her own diamond parure; next is the younger Akishino daughter, Princess Kako, wearing her diamond parure. Finally, the elegant lady in the lovely diamond and pearl parure is the Princess Hitachi, sister-in-law of the emperor. Intriguingly, this is a different diamond and pearl tiara than the one she wore last year, though the rest of the jewels appear to be the same.

This image shows very clearly how regimented jewel-wearing is in the court of the Japanese imperial family, doesn’t it?

Also as usual, Crown Princess Masako was at the palace during the reception, although she doesn’t take part in the public greetings. At the end of this video, you can see her arriving in the car with Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Aiko; she’s wearing the gorgeous Pearl Sunburst suite.

New Year Tiaras in Denmark

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Queen Margrethe arrives at the first New Year’s levee of 2017 (Image: screencap)

‘Tis the season for the annual New Year’s levees in Denmark, and tonight’s reception brought out the big jewels!

Queen Margrethe wore the Pearl Poire Tiara, a frequent choice for this levee. She was a little more inventive with the rest of her jewelry, though. That’s the pearl and ruby corsage ornament from one of the crown jewel garnitures used as the central element of her necklace!

Crown Princess Mary nearly always wears the ruby parure for this event, and tonight was no exception. She wore the tiara — with a new placement right top her head that I’m not really sure about — with the full girandole earrings. She went without a necklace, instead, pinning the brooch from the parure at the neckline of her dress.

Here’s a view that shows the entire dress and cape.

Also not a risk-taker tonight: Princess Marie, who wore her usual diadem, Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara. She also wore long diamond earrings.

And here’s a full view of her metallic dress; the simplicity of this gown really sets off the collar of the Order of the Elephant.