Tiara

In the late 18th century, the tiara came into fashion in Europe as a prestigious piece of jewelry to be worn by women at formal occasions.

The basic shape of the modern tiara is a semi-circle, usually made of silver, gold or platinum and richly decorated with precious stones, pearls or cameos.

After World War I, wearing a tiara gradually fell out of fashion, except for official occasions at a royal court.

Tiaras have also been made from tortoiseshell, coral and quartz, and in the 20th century unusual materials such as horn and aluminum were experimented with.

Occasionally, flowers, ears of corn, dragonflies or butterflies are depicted more or less "true to life" by using gemstones in different colours.

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.

[2] There are special black tiaras made of jet, onyx, glass or steel to be worn with mourning clothes.

[1] The words "tiara" and "diadem" both come from head ornaments worn in ancient time by men and women to denote high status.

"[1] Ancient Greeks and Romans 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.

This custom did not catch on widely, partly because the enormous ladies' hairstyles of the eighteenth century made wearing a tiara difficult.

[3] 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.

[1] Great jewelry houses like Garrard, Fabergé, Chaumet, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels all produced tiaras for their clientele.

Vanderbilt and Eva (Mrs. Edward) Stotesbury entertained with a degree of magnificence which made European balls appear almost insignificant.

In friendly competition with her rivals, the well-to-do American women refused to forgo any of the attributes sanctioned by society.

[citation needed] 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.

Many of the Danish royal jewels originally came into the collection when Princess Louise of Sweden married the future King Frederik VIII of Denmark.