Why is the tiara coming back in style? Queen Elizabeth and British royals wore them to weddings, but today Asian millennials are rocking bespoke blinging headpieces
- Cartier crafted tiaras for Edward VII’s coronation and kokoshnik-style pieces for the Russian court; today it creates bespoke diamond tiaras for Chinese clients
- Sotheby’s recently sold the 19th century House of Savoy headpiece for around US$1.5 million – and created an Instagram filter for selfies with the piece
On May 11, a spectacular 19th century diamond and natural pearl tiara went under the hammer at Sotheby’s in Geneva; the estimate was US$1 million-1.5 million. The House of Savoy headpiece was a symbol of the pomp and power of one of the world’s oldest royal families.
While it is too late to buy the tiara, it is not too late to try it on – albeit virtually, for Sotheby’s has created a filter on their Instagram for those who would like a selfie with the tiara.
Three tiaras came up for auction in Hong Kong only a month ago at Sotheby’s, and auctioneers see Asia as an important market for these storied jewels. According to the auction house, one third of the tiaras they have sold in the past five years have been snapped up by Asian buyers.
Most tiaras seen at auction are aristocratic heirlooms. Two at Sotheby’s were late 19th century and transformable; the third, a scrolling bandeau tiara of old mine rose-cut diamonds, was early 20th century and easier to wear as it lies flat on the head.
Chaumet, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Graff and Garrard in London continue to craft diamond tiaras. As a royal warrant holder, Garrard has created many for British royalty, including the Fringe tiara worn by Queen Elizabeth, Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice on their wedding days. Gerrard offers the Princess collection, with each design named after a current princess. These attract a lot of interest from Chinese clients, who can select from this “repeatable” collection or commission a bespoke design.
[The tiara is] attracting a younger generation of collectors in Asia who [have] sophisticated taste
“From a design perspective, we strive to create pieces that are both wearable and timeless, and that ultimately meet the client’s needs,” says Garrard’s creative director, Sara Prentice.
Between the 70s and 90s, many Victorian-era designs were deconstructed for their precious gems, an action that would be considered sacrilegious today. Cartier started buying back their original tiaras 30 years ago, restoring and making them available through the Cartier Tradition collection.