In the world of jewelry, some pieces, brands, and collections are worn by the average person but then some are simply stunning and untouchable to include the famous tiaras as a part of the Queen Victoria diamond jewelry collection. The best known piece of jewelry is the emerald and diamond tiara, which was the prized possession of several members of royalty to include the Empress of India, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of course, Queen Victoria.
Each of these women had a monarchy and to show power and status, incredible jewelry was worn, including necklaces, rings, earrings, broaches, bracelets, chokers, and of course, different tiaras. Among the pieces was the famous emerald and diamond tiara, which was exquisite. Although her jewelry included other pieces and stones such as rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, the diamond pieces and famous tiara were the most treasured.
Interestingly, the emerald and diamond tiara that was among the Queen Victoria diamond jewelry collection was actually designed by the Queen’s husband Prince Consort. Made in the 19th century, this tiara was made in a wonderful Gothic Revival style that was influenced from designs dating back to 1140 to 1500 AD. The Gothic style was so popular during this era that its features could be seen in furniture, building architecture, book covers, silverware, and of course, different pieces associated with royalty jewelry pieces.
Making the Queen Victoria diamond jewelry such as the emerald and diamond tiara so famous are the beautifully curved diamond mounted structures found on the upper portion. Then on the bottom portion of the famous tiara are spikes made of emeralds and diamonds. Even the base of the cabochon is embellished with sparkling emeralds, which were common for the Gothic style.
Other features of the tiara that make this jewelry piece so spectacular is the shape of the emeralds. Within the Gothic Revival styles is vesica piscis shapes, which were used in creating the emerald and diamond tiara. These words translate to “the bladder of a fish”, which describes this unique shape as being an intersection with two circles of the same diameter that come together so the center of the circles fits perfectly on the circumstance of the other circle.
The piece is comprised of hundreds of tiny, round cut diamonds on two parallel bands that make up the circlet. Even more fascinating are the measurements of the tiara. In Christianity, the number 153 is important, being the number of fish caught by Jesus. Today, this is why the fish symbol is still representative of Christians. For the design of the tiara, the width is 265:153, which is the same as the square footage of 3, thus having a direct link to the Christian world.
The emerald and diamond tiara is without doubt the best known part of the Queen Victoria collection, but what makes this particular piece of art so unique is that no one knows where it is. Some experts believe that the tiara ended up in the hands of a descendant of Queen Victoria while others are simply unsure. Many of the other pieces of Queen Victoria diamond jewelry ended up as a part of the British Crown Jewels but somehow, the diamond and emerald tiara never made it.
However, the diamond and sapphire tiara, another one of the pieces among the Queen Victoria diamond collection, is currently in the possession of the Earl and Countess of Harewood while the emerald and diamond tiara’s location remains a mystery. The last time this particular piece was seen was in 1997 at a special exhibition called One Hundred Tiaras – An Evolution of Style – 1800 – 1900.
At that time, the tiara was proudly displayed but the organizer of the exhibition, Geoffrey Munn, stated in a 2001 publication that he believed the now missing jewelry was in fact held by one of the queen’s descendants. Even so, in recent years, a number of reports have made their way throughout the diamond industry disagreeing with Munn’s statement. The new reports state that the emerald and diamond tiara was actually sold and eventually dismantled by the person who owned it last.
The pieces of jewelry associated with royalty such as Queen Victoria are out of the ordinary and certainly not something the everyday person would wear, let alone afford. However, for people who have an appreciation for gorgeous and historic jewels, learning about the tiaras and having the chance to see any of them on display is a great experience. As far as the emerald and diamond tiara that was among the Queen Victoria diamond jewelry collection, chances are its status will never be known.
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