Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton wore tiaras on their wedding days – should you? How Graff, Cartier and Boucheron are keeping the tradition of dazzling headpieces alive

Nov 25 , 2020

Boucheron’s Au Gré du Vent brooch is proof that headpieces can still prove an elegant, contemporary addition to a bridal outfit. Photo: Boucheron

A bejewelled headpiece, whether a tiara or a comb, is a timelessly classy finishing touch for your wedding day – so where did the tradition come from and why is it bang on trend in 2020?

Dressing tresses with precious embellishments is a time-honoured tradition for a bride on her wedding day, whether these gems are worn with a veil or not. Diamond Alice bands and bejewelled combs or clips help complete the once in a lifetime look that is the quest of every bride.

High jewellery headpieces don’t have to overpower the rest of your look. Photo: Chaumet

A headpiece may also embody the sparkling treasure that makes that sentimental connection of “something borrowed” between a bride and her mother or grandmother. However, if a bride does not have a box of family heirlooms to call upon, marriage might prove the moment to invest in a treasure of her own – and then even pass it on to her own daughter in the years to come.

There are certainly a multitude of beautiful headpieces to be found, from pretty diamond hair combs that can fix a veil in place, to clips – or perhaps a gorgeous brooch – to secure an up-do with a veil.

Going all out with Graff – this model is wearing no less than 22 pieces. Photo: Handout

Boucheron has done just that with its Au Gré du Vent brooch from its Contemplation high jewellery collection, which serves as inspiration for ways of wearing new or vintage brooches in the hair, or on a silk band attached to the veil.

Hairpins and brooches can have quite an impact, as Laurence Graff showed in 1970 when he created his famous US$1 million hair and jewel coiffure to launch his house globally. The extravagant design was inspired by the court hair fashions of 18th century Versailles, and proved so memorable that he updated it in 2013 for the 60th anniversary of his business, this time with US$500 million worth of rare diamonds that were entwined in the model’s hair.

Tortoise shell and diamond hair combs circa 1905. Photo: Ronald Abram

That, of course, is an exceptional illustration; there are ways of making a crowning statement in a contemporary way, for example, with a coral-inspired diamond hair comb by Japanese diamond and pearl specialist Tasaki, which can be affixed to a veil or inserted into a hair bun. Alternatively, Ronald Abram has a group of exquisite, vintage French diamond-set tortoiseshell hair combs dating from 1905 in its collection that originally would have been designed for the era’s piled Belle Époque hair.