The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

The Dutch Diamond Festoon Tiara

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Here’s how you know the Dutch royal vaults are some of the biggest in Europe: I’ve been writing this blog for five years, and there are still Dutch royal tiaras we haven’t covered here! One of those sparklers is today’s jewel: the Dutch Diamond Festoon Tiara.

Wikimedia Commons

I’m classifying this piece as a tiara, but it began life as a completely different kind of royal jewel. The piece was originally set as a diamond festoon necklace. Made by Vita, the piece featured a diamond riviere from which five diamond festoons were suspended, with a single diamond collet in the middle of each festoon. The central festoon also featured another pendant diamond. The necklace was part of a collection of diamond jewels that was given to Queen Wilhelmina on her ninth birthday (!) by her father, King Willem III, in 1889. Above, Wilhelmina wears the necklace early in her reign with the tiara and devant de corsage from the Stuart parure.

Grand Ladies Site

Wilhelmina continued to wear the necklace throughout her reign. She posed later in life for this postcard portrait, wearing the necklace with two jewels that belonged to her mother, Queen Emma: her diamond tiara (topped with diamond stars) and her grand diamond devant de corsage.

Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons

The next wearer of the necklace was Wilhelmina’s daughter, Queen Juliana. Above, she wears the necklace in January 1967 for an important family occasion: a dinner hosted by the Dutch government to celebrate the wedding of her daughter, Princess Margriet.

Eric Koch/Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons

For the occasion, Juliana paired the necklace with another Dutch royal heirloom: the Ears of Wheat Tiara. Her diamond earrings also feature pendants from Queen Emma’s Art Deco Corsage (worn by Queen Wilhelmina in one of the portraits above).

PA Images/Alamy

In November 1982, the then-Queen Beatrix wore the necklace with Queen Emma’s Diamond Tiara for a state banquet at Hampton Court Palace during her state visit to Britain.

LEX VAN LIESHOUT/AFP via Getty Images

The arrival of Queen Maxima breathed new life into the diamond jewel. She was the first member of the royal family to wear the necklace in public on a tiara frame. Since then, the tiara version of the jewel has also been worn by Princess Margriet.

DPA Picture Alliance Archive/Alamy

For a state banquet in honor of President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia in January 2005, Maxima wore the festoon tiara with the earrings sourced from Queen Emma’s Art Deco Corsage — the same ones worn by Queen Juliana with the necklace in 1967.

This Week in Royal Jewels: November 8-14

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November 8-14, 2019
Festivals, somber remembrances, and galas brought us a wide range of jewels to enjoy this week! Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
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25. For the official welcome ceremony during the this week’s official trip to Cuba, Queen Letizia of Spain wore a pair of petite gold hoops with a bamboo design. (More here!)

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24. Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore a pair of her signature gold earrings on Thursday for a visit to the Institut du Sacre-Coeur in Barvaux-sur-Ourthe.
ERIC LALMAND/BELGA/AFP via Getty Images
23. Statement hoops were Queen Mathilde’s earring on choice for a conference on the problem of violence against women and girls in conflict zones at the university in Liege on Wednesday.
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22. Queen Letizia wore sleek gold hoops and her gold oval ring for Tuesday evening’s gala at the Alicia Alonso Gran Theater. (More over here!)
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21. On Tuesday, the Duchess of Cambridge wore her earrings and necklace from the Mappin and Webb Empress line for Shout’s Crisis Volunteer celebration event at Troubadour White City Theatre in London. (See close-ups here!)
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20. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark sparkled in diamond hoops, layered necklaces, and bracelets on both wrists in Nairobi on Tuesday. (See the bracelets here!)
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19. On Remembrance Sunday, the Duchess of Cornwall wore her favorite pearl drop earrings, her pearl choker with the large diamond claps, and the cap badge of her late father’s regiment. (More here!)
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18. The Countess of Wessex wore diamond hoops, a cross necklace, an enamel poppy brooch, and the cap badge of The Rifles on Remembrance Sunday. (More over here!)
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17. At Saturday’s Festival of Remembrance in London, Sophie wore her diamond earrings and cross necklace with a crystal poppy brooch and the badge of Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. (More here!)
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16. Earrings with delicate heart-shaped ruby drops were the Duchess of Sussex’s choice for Saturday’s Festival of Remembrance. (More over here!)
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15. Kate wore pearl and diamond earrings loaned by the Queen (and her Oak Leaf Brooch, hidden under her poppies) for the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday. (More here!)
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14. On Saturday, Empress Masako of Japan wore chic pearl button earrings for the national enthronement celebrations in Toyko. (More over here!)
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13. For a meeting with the Spanish community at the Alicia Alonso Gran Theater in Havana on Wednesday, Queen Letizia sparkled in a pair of diamond starburst earrings. (More here!)
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12. For the Festival of Remembrance, the Princess Royal wore gorgeous pearls with her diamond star brooch and the cap badge of one of her regiments. (More here!)
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11. On Remembrance Sunday, Kate chose a poppy brooch that pays tribute to military codebreakers, plus the Queen’s gorgeous Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings. (More over here!)
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10. Camilla sparkled in major diamond earrings, her pearl choker with the large diamond clasp, and a poppy brooch at the Festival of Remembrance. (More here!)
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9. Diamonds, rubies, and black pearls were set in the stunning jewels worn by the Duchess of Gloucester for the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday. (More here!)
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8. For a reception at the Spanish embassy in Havana on Wednesday evening, Queen Letizia sparkled in a lovely pair of diamond earrings. (More jewels from the Cuban visit here!)
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7. At the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Earrings with glamorous pearls and the Dorset Bow Brooch, which also made an appearance on the balcony for Remembrance Sunday. (More over here!)
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6. The Swedish royals attended a Representation Dinner at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on Tuesday, and though we didn’t get a great view of Princess Christina’s jewels, we can see that she wore the Diamond Four Button Tiara. (More on the tiara here!)
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5. On Sunday, Crown Princess Kiko of Japan wore the family’s crown princely parure for the rescheduled enthronement parade in Tokyo. (More jewels from the parade here!)
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4. Empress Masako dazzled in diamonds, including the Meiji Tiara, during Sunday’s enthronement parade in Tokyo. (Additional views of the jewels here!)
Kungahuset
3. For Tuesday’s Representation Dinner, Princess Sofia of Sweden paired the emerald setting of her palmette tiara with a circle brooch (previously worn by Queen Silvia) and a new pair of diamond and green agate earrings from Strömdahls. (More on the tiara here!)
Kungahuset
2. Queen Silvia of Sweden sparkled in heirloom diamonds at Tuesday’s Representation Dinner, including the Connaught Diamond Tiara and the Vasa Earrings. (More on the tiara here and the earrings here!)
Kungahuset
1. My top vote of the week goes to Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, who paired floral diamond jewels with the Diamond Six Button Tiara for the Representation Dinner on Tuesday. (More on the tiara here!)