The history of the wedding tiara is a long one. Tiaras can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where they were used to decorate the heads of royal mummies. In Greece, goldsmiths created tiaras to adorn the heads of statues of their Gods and priests. The Greeks also awarded tiaras to contest champions, and highly ranked individuals wore them during social functions and special occasions. The Romans also used tiaras to denote rank and honour.
Inspired by ancient Rome, women of the court during Napoleonic times used tiara designs that were simple and symmetrical. These tiaras were typically decorated with laurel and olive leaves. The restored Bourbon monarchs, after 1815, encouraged the display of extravagant jewellery at the French court. English jewelers created some of the finest tiaras of the 19th Century. This period also marked the first time that tiaras became associated with weddings; hence the birth of the wedding tiara.
During the 1840s, Queen Victoria led England into a time of prosperity and wealth. Also prosperous, France declared the Second Empire in 1852 with the crowning of Emperor Napoleon III, giving birth to a new era of brilliance for Parisian high-society. Across Europe, court life flourished and magnificent jewellery became the fashion.
The Russian aristocracy took the extravagance of the Europeans to a new level in the latter part of the 19th century, with a greater display of luxury and wealth than any other nation. Jewelers of St. Petersburg and Paris crafted breathtaking tiara designs for the Grand Duchesses
During the first decade of the 20th century, more tiaras were worn than ever before. For the crowning of King Edward II in 1902 and King George V in 1911, new tiaras were made. During "tiara nights" at the Paris Opera, women showed off many unique tiara designs.
During World War I, tiaras began to be replaced by simpler bandeaux and aigrettes, but despite the great social and economic changes brought about at this time, tiaras endured. To complement the bobbed hairdos and pared down clothing of the 1920s, jewelers created new tiara designs. With the coming of WWII, the 1930s tiara revival came to an end. After that, the tiara never regained its former prominent status.
In modern times, there has been resurgence in the use of tiaras for weddings. Some of our designs now mimic antique tiara styles as well as more recent influences including Audrey Hepburn and the 1950s. Some of our showpieces on the catwalk, however, offer vivacious flare which is definitely akin to royalty! Whatever your favourite, be it gold or silver, Swarovski crystal semi-precious or precious stones, circlets or tiaras and irrelevant of your theme, we hope to be able to help you continue the life of the tiara!