Napoleon had jeweler Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier (circa 1808-1884) make this piece c. 1850. In the Louis XVI style, a filigree silver-gilt mount is over crusted with 1998 small diamonds. They surround much larger pearls, and give them absolute priority. The largest drop-shaped pearl in the top-most position is believed to be the “Perle Napoleon”
Here is Empress Eugenie wearing it.
With baroque pearls and natural diamonds, this tiara consists of two branches of flower vine leaves. The tiara probably had additional frames, but they are no longer available. It comes in its original box. c. 1900. It is up for auction at Christies for $37,000.
First up today is a 19th Century Portuguese tiara made of gold metal, sapphires, and baroque pearls, c. 1840. It sold for $1100.
We continue with a French blonde tortoiseshell back comb, c. 1890. The center ornament is a blue and white cameo of angels posing as the three muses. It is encased with diamonds. On each side are pearls separated by two gold leaves with a diamond in the center, and side blue enamel plaques with diamond roses. It sold for $3200.
Our last comb is by George Fouquet. The scrolled top of this blonde tortoiseshell comb is bordered with diamonds, and graced with opal leaves on both sides. Calibré-cut amethysts, three diamonds and a gold leaf reside in the middle. The piece is signed G.Fouquet and sold for $11,176.
C. 1850, this tiara’s wreath boasts seven graduated oval-shaped sapphire and diamond flowerheads. They rest on a rose-cut diamond branch. In the middle is the most elaborate flower and largest sapphire. Last summer, it sold for $100,144 in London.
Best known for its British Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau jewelry, this firm opened in 1880, producing neo-Renaissance pieces. From 1891 – 1916, the imaginative, bright enamel work on their peacock, wing, and insect designs won them Royal patronage. In 1916, the firm closed.
This piece, which is signed, might be part of their earlier work. Hinged to a tortoiseshell comb, the silver tiara is laced with garnets. What I love about it though is the hat on top with its ribbons flowing through silverwork. It sold at Sotheby’s for 1350 UKP.
However, when Child & Child’s artistry became revolutionary, one of their most famous pieces was a tiara of two bright blue enamel peacock wings, which sold at the Tadema Gallery in London. I know the price range was over 20,000 UKP, but I cannot imagine the exact, final price.
Graduated vertical brass bands, with a spiral terminal on top, extend from a brass hoop. The tiara measures 21 1/4 inches. Calder chose flat metal as a major theme of his jewelry designs in brass, copper, silver and gold.
English art historian Sir Kenneth Clark purchased the piece for his wife at the Freddy Mayor Gallery in England in 1938.
I wanted this. This absolutely one of the most beautiful tiaras I’ve ever seen. Superb coral cameos, gilt bronze, black flowers, French, 1840, Empire style, gorgeous, even though a few pieces are missing. It sold for $787 on Nov. 9. It had a tortoiseshell comb attached. The vision on this one is beautiful.
c. 1900, this pearl and diamond tiara was designed with garlands of open-work floral and foliate motifs. Est price: $176,000. The tiara may be detached in five parts and used as a diadem, a smaller tiara or as a pendant on a fine chain.
By family tradition this necklace was previously part of a tiara made by Fabergé in the 1860s and later redesigned as a neckalce by Buccellati in the early 1990s. It was owned by Countess Orloff Davidoff is the only daughter of Baron de Staal, late Russian ambassador to England, and was worn at her wedding. c. 1860. The necklace, pictured here, sold for $121,381 on 12 November 2008.
Since we are having a discussion about Chinese hair ornaments, I found a rare book on amazon.com called Kingfisher Blue by Beverley Jackson. In it, one of the featured collectors, Eric Zhuang from Taipei, Taiwan, shares three images from the book, which come from his own collection. In the Ming Dynasty, these headdresses were worn by empresses and imperial concubines. In the Qing Dynasty, they were worn by civilian women during the wedding ceremony. Here are Eric’s three Kingfisher Phoenix Coronets from the Late Qing Dynasty. The entire Qing Dynasty was from 1644-1911.
Although we swoon from the diamond, emerald, pearl, and sapphire tiaras, there are some, which are made of unusual materials. Just like Lalique used horn, when no one else was using it, these artists experiment, too.
I’m going to start with two by contemporary artist Jan Yager. This one is in the Victoria and Albert museum in London sitting right next to the diamonds. It is made of aluminum, glass, steel, cow’s horn and feathers.
This Jan Yager tiara was featured in “Craft in America: Expanding Traditions,” in the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon. It is called “Tiara of Useful Knowledge. City Flora: The Philadelphia Series (2006)” and is made of oxidized sterling silver, 18K and 14K gold.
The third piece I want to show was made by Liz Wallace, from the Navajo/Maidu/Washoe tribes and was purchased by the Wheelright Museum of the American Indian, c. 2006. It is made of plique a jour enamel, 18K gold, and sterling silver, and I love this one.
This “Fire and Ice” tiara c. 1990 was made by Geoffrey Rowlandson for The Metal Gallery. It is made of freshwater pearls, diamonds, and 18K gold. It was commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum as one of 4 pieces to represent contemporary art.
This Berlin tiara made of iron was a specialty of German foundries starting in 1804. In 1813, to finance the War of Liberation from Napoleon’s armies, German women donated their gold jewelery in exchange for iron ornaments. This parure holds cameos of classical themes and is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It was made c. 1810.
This sterling silver tiara was made by a scientist studying brain waves in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. He made a tiara cast of one of his siezures in sterling silver. What an amazing thing to do.
I will end this post with the sublime. A complete parure made of rare pink coral, known as “angels skin coral” because of its translucent appearance. It is carved with sea horses, mermaids, dolphins, and shells, attached to a gold framework that sits to make us feel glorious at its existence in the British Museum. It was owned by the De Beaumont family since the 19th century.
Here is a closeup of the tiara.