Our final contest of the week features two Norwegian heirlooms!

The Vasa Tiara vs. The Norwegian Emerald Parure Tiara

The Vasa Tiara

This small but dazzling diamond tiara was a wedding gift from the city of Stockholm to Princess Martha of Sweden on her marriage to the future King Olav V of Norway in 1929. The tiara’s name comes from Martha’s royal heritage from the old Vasa dynasty of Sweden. The tiara was subsequently worn by both of the current king’s sisters. It belongs to Princess Astrid, who has indicated that it will remain with the royal family after her eventual death — hopefully a very long time from now!

The Norwegian Emerald Parure Tiara

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.

We’ve got lots of sparkling goodness coming your way this weekend, including an intriguing brooch post and all the tournament voting results!