As December hustles and bustles along, we are now at the last Style File Friday of Blogmas 2023. While most of us are turning to festive pyjamas and ugly Christmas sweaters/ jumpers for our holiday celebrations, I would like to think someone somewhere gets to pop on a tiara. For last week’s Style File Friday, we looked at some of the best ruby tiaras that the royal families of the world have to offer. Continuing on with our festive team, we obviously have to turn to the emeralds- these are the best emerald kokoshnik tiaras!
Chaumet Emerald Tiara
If you missed it, I did a full series on Royal Jewellers across Europe at the beginning of 2023. And Chaumet was one of the jewellery firms that I featured, as they are a royal favourite but seem to be lesser known in the general population. Chaumet is a French firm and is very well-represented in the Luxembourgish jewellery vaults.
This Art Deco-style tiara features diamond scrollwork with a massive cabochon emerald at the centre. Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg was the first family member to wear the tiara. She was Grand Duchess from 1919 until she abdicated in 1964 after taking the throne following her sister’s abdication. We first see Charlotte wearing the tiara in a 1921 portrait, and she wore it throughout her reign.
Grand Duchess Maria Theresa, who is married to the current Grand Duke, frequently wears the tiara to diplomatic and family events.
Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara
Of course, what would a list of the best emerald tiaras be without the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara? If it looks familiar, it would be because Princess Eugenie wore this for her 2018 wedding.
Dame Margaret Greville commissioned this tiara from Boucheron sometime in the early 1920s. Upon her death in 1942, Greville left almost all of her jewels to the then-Queen Elizabeth (later Queen Mother), including this emerald tiara. While Elizabeth did wear several pieces from the Greville bequest throughout her life, she did not publicly wear this particular tiara.
This is another Art Deco tiara; this particular piece has a detailed design that features scallops. It also has one main cabochon emerald in the centre and six supporting emeralds. Sadly we have not seen it since Eugenie’s wedding, but perhaps she will be able to wear it for another formal event!
Queen Mary’s Honeysuckle Tiara
While the late Queen Elizabeth II had a truly impressive collection of tiaras, due to a number of spectacular inheritances from her grandmother (Queen Mary) and her mother (Queen Eliabeth the Queen Mother) and several wedding presents, her line is not the only one to have a number of sparklers. The Gloucester tiara collection is often forgotten about but features some historic pieces.
The Duchess of Gloucester wore Queen Mary’s Honeysuckle Tiara in November 2022 for the South African state visit for a reception at the Guildhall. Mary asked Garrard to create a tiara for her; they then commissioned E. Wolff and Co to make this adaptable tiara in 1914. The kokoshnik style tiara was made in honeysuckle design. The centre stone can be changed out for several different jewels, including this statement emerald. (I have to say, I always refer to her as “Mary the Magpie” as she collected just so many tiaras.) The Queen gave it to her new daughter-in-law, Lady Alice Montagu Scott, in 1935 after marrying The Duke of Gloucester.
Bonus Emerald: The Bernadotte Emerald Necklace
This is one of the most impressive necklaces in any jewellery vault in the world. This necklace is made up of fourteen diamond and emerald medallions, and belongs to the Bernadotte Emerald Parure. This emerald set was created for the first Bernadotte King of Sweden, King Carl XIV Johan, who reigned from 1818 to 1844. This necklace was actually originally a belt but had been converted to a necklace by the 1880s.
Queen Silvia frequently wears this necklace (and the two brooches from the parure) for significant events. And because the Swedish Royal Jewels are placed in a trust rather than a collection held by one person, we get to see other members of the family wearing them as well. (Crown Princess Victoria has worn this necklace on more than one occasion.)
Want more tiaras? You can find the best red and green tiaras here!
What is your favourite of these emerald kokoshnik tiaras?
Cheers,
The Historian
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