The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Site Update: I’m Getting Married!

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(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)
Time for a quick site update, magpies! I’m getting married on Saturday (!), so I’m taking the next week or so off. Because I love you all so much, I’ve scheduled a boatload of content for the days I’ll be away. I’m going to try to really relax and enjoy the whole experience, though, so I’ll be pretty unavailable for the duration. Please try to keep this space drama-free as a wedding present to me!

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)
The blog posts should be updated pretty much as normal this week, but there will be no weekly jewel review, and posts on current events will be saved for after my return to work. Thank you all for reading so faithfully over the years! It’s been a joy to have all of you here with me, and rest assured that I’ll be sharing a post with pictures of my dress and jewels soon. (I may even share a few sneak peeks over on my Instagram stories, so be sure to follow me over there!) 
I’ve heard from some of you that you’d like to send gifts, but although I’m overwhelmed by your generosity, I’d ask that you refrain. The biggest gift you can give me is to keep supporting my work by reading here!
Mark and I are so thankful for all of your support. Please keep us in your thoughts this coming week!
Much love,
Lauren (aka Ella Kay)


The Mikasa Pearl Drop Tiara

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Ian Gavan/Getty Images

Tiaras set with pearls and diamonds are staples of the Japanese imperial jewelry collection, but today’s example — the pearl drop tiara that belongs to the Mikasa family — might be one of my favorites.

JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images

The tiara is an example of mid-20th century construction, with a low profile and design elements that echo some of the Art Deco motifs from earlier in the century. Round pearls are suspended from elaborate diamond arches, which rest on a base of flat, ribbon-like scrolls.

INTERFOTO/Alamy

You’ll sometimes see this sparkler called “Princess Yasuko’s Pearl and Diamond Tiara,” because the first recorded wearer of the piece was Princess Yasuko of Mikasa. She is the eldest child of Prince and Princess Mikasa; her father was a younger brother of Emperor Hirohito. When she married Tadateru Konoe in December 1966, she gave up her imperial titles and her jewels, including this tiara. Above, she wears the tiara in Tokyo shortly before her marriage. She became Yasuko Konoe; the tiara went back to the imperial vaults.

JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images

In more recent years, though, we’ve seen the tiara in public again. In 2015, Yasuko’s sister-in-law, Princess Takamado, wore the tiara in Stockholm for the wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden.

Ian Gavan/Getty Images

She paired the tiara with other diamond and pearl jewels, including the necklace from her wedding parure, a set of bracelets, and a gorgeous diamond bird brooch, which was situated to look as if it had gently perched on her shoulder.