The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Saturday Sparkler: The Luxembourg Chaumet Choker Tiara

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If you ask me, one of the best things a tiara can be is versatile. A piece that can be worn in multiple configurations automatically increases its value to the wearer significantly, allowing it to be used in different ways for different occasions. Today’s tiara is just such a piece: the convertible pearl and diamond necklace/tiara, is worn by the country’s current grand duchess, Maria Teresa.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wears the tiara, 2003

The sparkler, which is easily recognizable for its intricate and unique latticework pattern of diamonds, was made by Chaumet during the reign of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg. A model of the tiara is on display at Chaumet in Paris; it’s easily visible in the photo of the Chaumet models featured in Diana Scarisbrick’s Tiara (2000). The main wearer of the piece is Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, although the tiara has also been worn (years ago) by one of her sisters-in-law, Princess Margaretha.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wears the tiara, 2001

Maria Teresa wears a double row of gems atop the diamond choker when she dons the piece in tiara form — a row of round diamonds situated atop the choker, and a row of larger pearls mounted a level higher. (The ladies over at Luxarazzi note that the piece was originally made to be topped with sapphires, not pearls.) It can also be worn without any of the topper stones at all.

Maria Teresa wears the piece as a necklace, 2008

The grand duchess also sometimes wears the choker stacked with other necklaces, including a diamond collet necklace (see the photo above). Though the piece is worn quite close to the neck when it is used as a necklace (as most chokers are), the piece is opened when it is placed on a tiara frame, making it seem much more substantial than it would if it were worn as a closed circlet.

Maria Teresa wears the tiara at Guillaume’s pre-wedding dinner, 2012

In recent years, Maria Teresa has reserved the choker tiara for her personal use. She’s worn it at state visits, birthday galas, and even the dinner held the night before the wedding of her eldest son, Guillaume. But with the new hereditary grand duchess slowly making a tiara tour of the family vaults, surely it’s only a matter of time before we see it atop another Nassau noggin!

This Week in Royal Jewels: October 31-November 6

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October 31-November 6, 2014
Galas, tiaras, and awards ceremonies galore this week! Enjoy!

10. On Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II joined King Philippe of the Belgians at the opening of the new Flanders Field Memorial in London. She wore her diamond and gold sunflower brooch, made in the 1970s by Garrard.

9. On Saturday, Charlotte Casiraghi attended a gala in Los Angeles, where she wore bracelets with her striking gown. Here’s a better look:

And — intriguingly — doesn’t that look like a wedding ring on Charlotte’s left hand???

8. Queen Letizia of Spain continued her love affair with petite pendant earrings at the Francisco Cerecedo Journalism Awards on Wednesday. Anyone else think this pair looks a bit like the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding earrings? (Sans acorns, of course!)

7. Last Wednesday, Queen Silvia of Sweden wore pearls and a silver cuff bracelet to give an award to Malala Yousafzai, one of the winners of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize (and someone that I admire greatly!).

6. Back in the Netherlands after trips to Japan and South Korea, Queen Maxima wore hoops to visit a children’s music organization on Thursday.

5. In Campeche on Wednesday, the Duchess of Cornwall wore pearls and a pair of bracelets — plus, of course, her poppy — during an engagement with the first lady of the state of Monterrey.

4. On Thursday evening, Queen Elizabeth II attended the Recovery Pathway reception at Buckingham Palace with her grandsons, William and Harry; she wore her Cartier diamond and aquamarine clips paired together as a single brooch. Update: Yep, although this one resembles the Cartier clips, it’s actually a diamond and aquamarine brooch/set of clips that belonged to the Queen Mother, worn by HM recently at Ascot.

3. During her recent trip to South Africa, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wore a stunning pair of gold earrings, made by Jewlscph. They’re made of gold-plated sterling silver, and they retail for 520 euros.

2. From South Africa, Mary traveled to Geneva for an event at the United Nations on Thursday. She wore a large blue leaf-shaped brooch as she spoke during a meeting on the status of women.

1. As per usual, tiaras win the week for me! Hop over to Luxarazzi to see Grand Duchess Maria Teresa in the family’s citrine/topaz parure, and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie wearing one of the family’s amethyst sets, including the tiara worn above in the 1970s by Princess Marie-Astrid. Love the purple jewels on Stephanie with that gown!

This Week in Royal Jewels: September 26-October 2

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September 26-October 2, 2014
It’s that time again, magpies: our weekly roundup of royal jewels is here! This week seemed like it absolutely flew by, and the royals were busy bees. Enjoy the royal jewels they wore!

10. In Monaco, royals from Belgium, Luxembourg, and Saudi Arabia were among the attendees joining Prince Albert at a charity dinner for EORTC on Wednesday. Princess Astrid of Belgium accessorized her red dress with a shimmering bracelet and earrings.

9. Also at the charity dinner in Monaco was Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, who made a pair of large earrings the focus of her jewelry.

8. Princess Marie of Denmark showed off a gorgeous ring on the cover of the October issue of Costume magazine.

7. Before returning to Sweden for Tuesday’s Riksdag opening, Queen Silvia visited her younger daughter, Princess Madeleine, in New York. While representing their World Childhood Foundation at the Global Citizen Festival, the two glammed up their casual attire with stacks and stacks of bracelets.

6. An understandably somber Duchess of Cornwall wore pearls to mourn the late Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, whose jewels we remembered fondly last weekend. Camilla chose one of her trademark pearl chokers, specifically the one with an all-diamond clasp, as well as earrings with pearl drops and a shamrock brooch made of diamonds and turquoises.

5. The Countess of Wessex visited RAF Wittering on Tuesday, wearing blue Super Stud earrings from Heavenly Necklaces and a pair of RAF wings. Sophie’s badge is special, because she’s the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Wittering. Fancy! (Thanks, as always, to Anna for info on Sophie’s jewelry.)

4. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands rarely disappoints when it comes to earrings, and on Tuesday, she wore an especially dangly silver pair to the opening of the Micropia Museum.

3. Queen Mathilde of the Belgians selected blue earrings to coordinate with her dove-gray dress for a visit to the SHAPE in Mons on Tuesday.

2. Another outing for Queen Maxima saw her bring out some serious sparkle. She wore her own pair of diamond and ruby earrings to open the new Markthal in Rotterdam on Wednesday.

1. Even more glamorous rubies were worn this week by Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who donned pieces from the ruby parure that originally belonged to Queen Desiree of Sweden. Although Mary usually reserves the rubies for white-tie events, she wore them on Saturday with a cocktail dress for the annual Crown Princely Couple awards.

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