Our final match-up of round two features two sleek and spectacular sparklers…

Queen Mary’s Russian Bandeau vs. The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik

Queen Mary’s Russian Bandeau

Queen Mary bought several pieces of jewelry from the exiled Romanovs, and this sparkling sunray bandeau may have been one of them. The piece can be worn with various center stones, including a luminous sapphire. It’s not been seen since Princess Margaret last wore it, and many of us are crossing our fingers that it’s still in the vaults!

The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik

This amazing diamond and emerald kokoshnik has been in the royal vaults since the 1940s, but it wasn’t worn in public until two years ago! The Queen Mother inherited the tiara from Mrs. Greville but was never photographed wearing it. Princess Eugenie gave the piece new life when she wore it as her wedding tiara in 2018, and since then it’s been a favorite of jewelry lovers.

Thanks to everyone who voted in our Sweet Sixteen round — the results post will be up on Sunday! In the meantime, I’ve got a couple of fun sparkling posts headed your way for Friday and Saturday!

Today’s first post features both of the Queen Mother’s signature tiaras…

The Greville Tiara vs. The Oriental Circlet

The Greville Tiara

After the Queen Mother inherited this diamond honeycomb tiara from Mrs. Greville in the 1940s, it swiftly became one of her signature pieces. Today, the same is true of its current wearer, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has both the presence and the hair to carry off such a major tiara.

The Oriental Circlet

Designed by Prince Albert, this Eastern-inspired tiara was originally set with opals. Queen Alexandra, who was superstitious, removed them. The tiara is an heirloom of the crown, but it was worn (superbly!) for years by the Queen Mother, and it’s only been worn once by the Queen since her mother’s death.

The final match-up of round two tips off this afternoon!

Sleek diamond design is featured in both of this afternoon’s tiara contenders!

Princess Andrew’s Meander Bandeau vs The Iveagh Tiara

Princess Andrew’s Meander Bandeau

This tiara’s meander motif was perfect for its original owner, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark. She gave it to her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, as a wedding gift, and she subsequently passed it along to Princess Anne. It’s a perfectly balanced and wearable tiara for a modern princess.

The Iveagh Tiara

This fantastic diamond kokoshnik was Queen Mary’s wedding present from Lord and Lady Iveagh in 1893. She passed the lacy tiara along to her daughter-in-law, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and it’s now worn by the current Duchess. It also made a fantastic wedding tiara for Lady Rose Gilman.

Stay tuned for our next tip-off tomorrow morning!