Friday, April 11, 2014

Luxarazzi 101: Turquoise Tiara and Necklaces

Photos: Tom Wagner, RTL, Getty Images
So, you know that newest Point de Vue I told you about yesterday? It also included some interesting new information about one of the tiaras of the Grand Ducal Collection that we generally don't know much about. While it still does not cover it's entire history simply because it isn't even known to those who are in the know - a.k.a. the members of the Grand Ducal Family and their employees - it does shed some new light on a tiara, its accompanying necklace and an extra necklace that have caused much speculation.

Photos: PPE
In 2007, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa surprised royal jewel watchers when she wore a previously unseen turquoise and diamond necklace for the return dinner of an outgoing state visit to Belgium. A year later, that surprise grew even bigger when she was spotted with a turquoise and diamond parure. (What's a parure? May I redirect you to The Court Jeweller?!) Since then, she has sent royal jewel lovers in overdrive: Was this a previously unseen heirloom tiara? Where did it come from, the Belgian or the Luxembourgish side of the family? Or was it a new acquisition, maybe on the occasion of the Grand Ducal Couple's wedding anniversary in 2006? A while later, in 2010 to be exact, Princess Tessy wore the turquoise and diamond tiara for national day showing us that it wasn't just a one time thing.

According to Point de Vue, the story behind turquoise jewellery goes as following: In 2006, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa handed over a turquoise and diamond tiara and a necklace in the same design as well as another turquoise and diamond necklace to Muriel Prieur, curator of the Grand Ducal collections, as the Grand Duchess wished for them to be brought in a wearable state once again and also for earrings to be made to accompany the pieces. 

Photo: PdV
[Quick note: Unfortunately, it isn't specified where Grand Duchess Maria-Teresa found them though with royals pretty much everything is possible. Have you heard the story about Queen Silvia, the cupboard and the cut steel tiara? I mean, I guess those palaces and castles have an awful lot of cupboards to hide stuff in, though you'd think that the original owner would have noticed that something went missing... #RichPeopleProblems]

Anyway, Muriel Prieur has determined that the tiara and the accompanying necklace date back to the 1830's though not much more is known about it apart from that. The article does not mention anything about the bigger necklace and when it was likely made though upon closer inspection, I have to say that certain elements do remind me of the Empire Tiara which has been in the family since 1829. While there are no indications of the turquoises being worn by other Grand Duchesses prior to the current one, Grand Duchess Charlotte apparently already owned the pieces, so they definitely do not seem to be a new acquisitions but rather Nassau family heirlooms.

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