Photo Courtesy of Instagram/Chaumet

This spring, costume jewelry tiaras took the runway by storm, with models walking the catwalks for Saint Laurent, Rodarte and Miu Miu sporting bejeweled head ornaments. With the wedding season in full swing, we thought it best to understand how the tiara became a quintessential part of bridal jewelry.

Daniela Mascetti, Senior International Specialist-Jewelry Division, Sotheby’s UK, threw the spotlight on tiaras: “The earliest tiaras were simple wreaths of branches and leaves, used in religious and funerary ceremonies, most notably in ancient Greece.”

“The Romans adopted the gold wreath as the supreme indication of rank and honour for both men and women, and since then, tiaras have reflected changing fashions.” says Daniela. And as time went by, with the rise of a new class of wealthy individuals during the Belle Epoque period, fabulous tiaras by Cartier, Chaumet and Boucheron were de rigueur – not only in royal courts, but also at the opera and restaurants too, observes Daniela. “In the 1970s, designers such as Vivienne Westwood brought the tiara to the catwalk.”

Making history, the Argyle Pink Diamond Tiara, designed by renowned London jeweler Asprey, features 178 Argyle pink diamonds. Painstakingly collected over many years, these Argyle pink diamonds in various shapes, sizes and colors is unlikely to ever be repeated, which prompted Linneys Jewelry Company to buy the tiara from Asprey. That’s a tiara you are bound to fall in love with!
Our tiaras edit features exquisite ornaments from Cartier, Chaumet, Graff, including a Victorian pearl and diamond (circa 1880) jeweled piece by Bentley & Skinner.

Smitha Sadanandan