Two unusual early nineteenth-century tiaras face off in this contest!

The Napoleonic Cut Steel Tiara vs. The Braganza Tiara

The Napoleonic Cut Steel Tiara

This is a rare tiara that manages to sparkle without diamonds or other gems. The jewel is made of gold and highly-polished cut steel, with design motifs including feathers, oak leaves, and acorns. It was part of a set that belonged to Queen Hortense of Holland, who passed it to her niece, Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway. It languished in a cupboard in the royal silver room until it was re-discovered in the 1970s. Since then, it’s been worn by several royal women, and it’s a particular favorite of Crown Princess Victoria.

The Braganza Tiara

Also known as the Brazilian Tiara, this grand diadem was originally made in France using diamonds that belonged to the Brazilian imperial family. It was originally worn by Princess Amelie of Leuchtenberg, the second wife of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. In 1873, it arrived in Stockholm when Empress Amelie bequeathed it to her sister, Queen Josefina of Sweden. Queen Silvia, who is half Brazilian, selected this tiara for her first formal portrait as queen. She also wore it at the wedding of her daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, in 2010.

More tiaras coming up next!

This one’s a battle of the Bernadotte bridal diadems…

The Connaught Diamond Tiara vs. The Cameo Tiara

The Connaught Diamond Tiara

This floral diamond tiara was Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden’s wedding gift from her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught. The piece is endlessly convertible, able to be worn as a tiara or in two different necklace settings. After her death, the tiara was inherited by her eldest son, Prince Gustaf Adolf. It became the favorite tiara of his wife, Princess Sibylla, and the family still sentimentally associates the tiara with Sibylla. Today, it remains in the royal vaults, and you’ll often see it worn by Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Madeleine, and Princess Christina.

The Cameo Tiara

This unusual royal tiara is made of pearls, gold, and intricately-carved cameos. It was a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to his Josephine, and from her, it made its way to Queen Josefina of Sweden. In the twentieth century, the piece became a bridal crown for the Bernadottes, appearing on four Swedish royal brides since the 1960s. When Crown Princess Victoria walked down the aisle wearing the tiara in 2010, her mother, Queen Silvia, said that she focused on only two things: “the beauty of the tiara and her happiness.”

An astonishing necklace is up next, and then more tiaras tomorrow!

Our tiara tournament has returned to Stockholm!

The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure Tiara vs. The Napoleonic Amethyst Parure Tiara

The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure Tiara

One of several important suites of heirloom jewelry in the Bernadotte collection, the Leuchtenberg sapphires began their journey in Germany. They were a gift from Empress Josephine of France to her daughter-in-law, Princess Augusta, Duchess of Leuchtenberg. Augusta passed them to her daughter, Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway, and they’ve been in the Swedish vaults ever since. In 1930, Queen Victoria of Sweden bequeathed them to the family jewel foundation, which means they cannot be sold. Today, they’re typically worn by the most senior woman in the royal family: presently, that’s Queen Silvia. The flexible diadem has been one of her favorite jewels throughout her decades as Sweden’s queen consort.

The Napoleonic Amethyst Parure Tiara

This imposing circlet of amethysts and diamonds was originally a large necklace. It’s part of a parure that has been in the Swedish royal collection since the days of Queen Josefina, who inherited it from her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Leuchtenberg. Queen Silvia made the piece convertible, having it placed on a tiara frame when she joined the royal family in 1976, and it’s been worn by most of the Bernadotte women in the years since.

More tiara voting coming your way next!