Tiara - WikiHQ

thumb|Tiara made for the French princess [[Marie-Thérèse, Duchess of Angoulême, 1820]]

A tiara (, ) is a head ornament adorned with jewels. Its origins date back to ancient Persia, from where it was later popularized by the Greco-Roman world. By the 18th century, the tiara had become fashionable in Europe as prestigious pieces of jewelry worn by women on formal occasions. The basic shape of the modern tiara is a semicircular base, usually made of gold, silver, or platinum, and richly decorated with gemstones, pearls, or cameos.

Tiaras were extremely popular during the late 19th century and were worn at events with a white tie dress code. After World War I, their use declined, except for official occasions at royal courts. Interest in tiaras has increased again since the early 21st century. The word tiara is often used interchangeably with diadem.

Description

The basic shape of the modern tiara is a semi-circle, usually made of silver, gold or platinum. Tiaras have also been made from tortoiseshell, coral and quartz, and in the 20th century unusual materials such as horn and aluminium were experimented with.

File:Arvstorhertiginnan Stéphanie av Luxemburg.jpg|alt=|Bandeau tiara (worn by princess Stéphanie of Luxembourg)

File:Maria Pavlovna by B.Kustodiev (фрагмент).jpg|alt=|Kokoshnik tiara (worn by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia)

File:Nazlicoronation.jpg|alt=|Circlet tiara (worn by queen Nazli of Egypt)

</gallery>

Tiaras are worn on the head, but also around the forehead; this depends on the model of the tiara and the fashion of the day. Wearing a tiara can lead to headaches. To make it more comfortable to wear, a large tiara is often attached to a supporting frame that is cushioned by wrapping it with velvet ribbons.

Some tiaras can be disassembled into elements that can be worn individually as a necklace or brooch. Tiaras are sometimes part of a parure: a matching set of, for example, tiara, necklace, earrings, brooches and bracelets.

Etiquette

thumb|[[Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in 'white tie' dress code, with tiara.]]

It is sometimes thought that only titled women are allowed to wear a tiara, but that is not true. Any woman can wear a tiara to events where the dress code "white tie" applies. However, events in hotels are excluded. Accordingly, ancient Greek historian Herodotus noted that Achaemenid Persian soldiers "wore on their heads loose caps called tiaras", claiming that this was the reason their skulls became “feeble".

Ancient Greeks and Romans soon used gold to make wreath-shaped head ornaments, while the Scythians' resembled a stiff halo that would serve as the inspiration for later Russian kokoshniks. The use of tiaras and diadems declined along with the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity.

18th and 19th century

In the late 18th century, Neoclassicism gave rise to a revival of tiaras, but this time it was a solely female adornment. Jewelers taking inspiration from Ancient Greece and Rome created new wreaths made from precious gemstones. Fashion designer Versace made a tiara which was worn by pop star Madonna. The Danish royal family has a tiara on loan that was designed in 2009 for an exhibition of classic and modern tiaras.

Collections

Queen Elizabeth II was said to have had the largest and most valuable collection of tiaras in the world, many of which are heirlooms of the British royal family. She was often seen wearing them on state occasions. Queen Mary purchased the Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara in the 1920s. It consists of numerous interlocking diamond circles. Pearl drops or emeralds can be attached inside the circles. Queen Mary had a tiara made for the Delhi Durbar held in 1911 in India. It is now on loan for wearing by Queen Camilla, wife of King Charles III. Queen Elizabeth II commissioned a ruby and diamond tiara. A gift of aquamarines she received as a present from the people of Brazil were added to diamonds to make a new tiara. The Iranian royal family also had a large collection of tiaras. Since 1955, they are housed with the Iranian National Jewels at the Treasury of National Jewels in Tehran.

On rare occasions, usually when the actual tiara is exceptionally old and valuable due to its history and gemstones, realistic copies may be made and worn in place of the original due to insurance considerations. <gallery>

File:Mary Of Teck (1934).jpg|alt=|Queen Mary of the United Kingdom wearing the Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara

File:Noor-ol-Ain tiara.png|alt=|The Noor-ul-Ain tiara of Farah Pahlavi, Shahbanu of Iran

File:Kronprinsessan Mary av Danmark & Kronprins Frederik av Danmark -2.jpg|alt=|The 'midnight tiara' was made in 2009. Worn by crown princess Mary of Denmark (now Queen Mary of Denmark).

File:Royal Wedding Stockholm 2010-Slottsbacken-07 (cropped).jpg|alt=|Cameo tiara originally made for Joséphine de Beauharnais, now in the possession of the Swedish royal family, worn by crown princess Victoria.