The Historic Royal Palaces celebrated the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth earlier this year by releasing this amazing video which shows the spectacular diamond Kokoshnik Tiara being transformed into a necklace.
This fringe tiara, also known as Queen Alexandra's Fringe Tiara, was commissioned for her 25th wedding anniversary in 1888. Queen Alexandra, then the Princess of Wales, was the consort of Queen Victoria's eldest son, the future King Edward VII.
This was a time when the British aristocracy were title rich but cash poor - it is estimated that around that time, nearly a fifth of British noblemen had to marry rich American heiresses, the so-called Dollar Princesses, to keep their estates going. So a group of society ladies had to pool their resources together to pay for this gift.
When asked what design she liked, Queen Alexandra said she admired the tiara of her sister, Maria Feodorovna, the Empress of Russia. It was in the style of the kokoshnik (Russian for cock's comb), a traditional Russian headdress.
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| Marie Feodorovna was the mother of the last Tsar of Russia |
The tiara was later passed down to Queen Alexandra's daughter in-law, Queen Mary who in turned bequeathed it to her granddaughter, the present Queen Elizabeth II.
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| Queen Alexandra (left) and Queen Mary (right) |
Queen Elizabeth II has consistently worn this particular tiara throughout her long reign. It's simple style makes it easy for her to match with her other jewels.
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| Queen Elizabeth II |
The video clearly shows the striking vertical bars of white gold pave set with 488 diamonds.
The jeweler carefully removes the connected bars from the frame so it can be flipped into a necklace.
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Before You Go:
- How to Make Convertible Brooch Pendant Necklaces
- Tutorials : How to Make a Bead and Wire Tiara
- The Beaded Bead's Focal Bead Tutorials and Convertible Jewelry Findings
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
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Omg. I thought they were going to get rid of the tiara altogether. To me that would be almost sacrilegious. Much like transforming Princess Diana's iconic necklace into a brooch. Shouldn't these pieces be protected??
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the latest royal family additions have no problem ripping
apart pieces.
I'm against all of that. They have enough money to just buy new pieces without trampling all over items the public admires and holds dear. Maybe it's just bling to them but it's memories for many of us and historical to boot.
Apparently the words are - don't get me started.
That tiara is a convertible piece - it can be worn both as a tiara or a necklace. Making over jewelry is a time honored practice whether one is royal or not. Sometimes pieces are too dated or just doesn't fit. One would like jewelry to stay the same but in real life, they are often re- purposed or redesigned.
ReplyDelete