EVOLUTION OF TIARAS

Tiaras by far have been one of the most spectacular kind of  jewels ever created, which have not only been worn by men and women of authority but also by commoners. These gleaming beauties symbolise eminence and power and have been used for ages in various civilisations for adorning the royalties and to honour men of rank. Every tiara has a tale to tell. A tale of mystique, fortune, love and evolution of society.

A tiara is essentially a  circular head ornament. It is a universal term used for head ornaments which encompasses diadems, circlets, wreaths and kokoshnik. A tiara is different from a crown. A crown usually embraces the entire head and is worn by kings and queens at formal ceremonies or when they address their people. On the other hand a tiara sits atop the head and is usually worn by women for  their wedding and other formal occasions.

The word tiara has Persian roots and it meant the high peaked  head dresses of Persian kings which were encircled by diadems( diadein in Greek which means to bind around).v This post is going to take you through a beautiful journey of how these tiaras evolved and made a significant place  in our culture.

Today what we see as a tiara evolved from fragile strands of flowers interwoven to create wreaths which literally means a circle of flowers and leaves. Wreaths were symbolic of triumph and achievement. They were worn by primitives for religious ceremonies and placed on the graves. Laurel wreaths were awarded to the  Olympic champions and myrtle which was a circular band of shrubs and white flowers were worn by the newly weds.

With the progression of metallurgy, these fragile wreaths were replaced by glistening gold and silver ones. Wreaths were decorated with foliage of different leaves and each of the leaves were conferred with unique symbolism.

The earliest signs of these head ornaments can be traced back to the ancient Egyptian civilisation, where they were worn by the Pharaohs and  they were offered to the Gods. They were even placed in the tombs of the kings and the queens.

Ancient Greece received limited supply of gold from Kazakstan and Altai mountains until Alexander the Great exploited the gold rich deposits of Persia in 331 BC. From then on Greek craftsmen, converted these temporary head ornaments into exquisite diadems.In Greece, wreaths were offered to the Gods with the foliage which was dedicated to them. For example, ivy leaves were devoted to Dionysius(a saint), wheat ears for Demeter (Greek Goddess of agriculture and protector of marriage and social order) and oak for Zeus(supreme deity of the ancient Greeks). These wreaths were also used as bullion and they further evolved into diadems, crowns and tiaras.

 

Wreath depicting Ivy leaves

Wreath depicting Oak leaves

Wreath depicting Wheat ears

The inhabitants of the ancient Etruria (a region of central Italy) worked more on the traditional wreaths and diadems whereas, the Iranian nomads also known as the Scythians developed an unconventional style of head ornament known as the kokoshnik which was more like a  stiff halo over the head.

 

Kokoshnik Tiara

The Greeks and Etruscans were known for their craftsmanship. The Roman empire was in awe of their skill and wanted to incorporate the same in their jewellery. However, they could not match upto the Greeks and Etruscans but played an extremely important role in the evolution of tiaras by creating gem set tiaras. These scintillating tiaras studded with precious stones and diamonds acquired a significant status in the Roman royalty and were truly an emblem of power, authority and status.

 

Roman gem-set Crown

With the fall of the Roman empire and rise of Christianity, tiaras and crowns were out of fashion. During the medieval period the use of tiaras was extremely limited. With the onset of Neo-classicism in the 18^th century,(a movement prevailing in Europe and America pertaining to design, architecture and literature) the tiaras came back as a big fashion trend with bold geometrical gem set designs. Later in the 19^th century when Napoleon came to power he tried to bring back the Roman charm back to the jewels. His wives were gifted breathtakingly beautiful parures and tiaras were an important part of those sets.During Napoleon’s reign cameos and intaglios were used widely and they depicted an important event from the history. He was finally defeated at the battle of Waterloo by the British in 1815. With the Britishers coming in, there was a revival again in the designs of the tiara. Designs from the 18^th century were revived and used along with classical designs.

 

Tiara from Napoleon's Reign

In England, there had been a custom of wearing jewelled head ornaments at the weddings from as early as the 15^th century but tiaras/wreaths became an essential component of a bride’s jewels in the 19^th century. The tiaras were in their prime in the 19^th century.

Princess Charlotte of Wales and Queen Victoria had worn floral wreaths on their wedding day in the year 1816 and 1840 respectively. Queen Victoria is said to have a great collection of tiaras. These tiaras were carefully created under the guidance of her husband, King Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Oriental Circlet is one of the most famous tiara which was created for Queen Victoria along with the sapphire and diamond tiara.

 

The Oriental Circlet Tiara

These trends which were followed at the court had a great impact on culture and fashion. Also, there was a norm that tiaras could only be worn by married women. Many English brides started wearing a tiara over their veils on their big day. This tradition flourished in the 19^th century. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother wore the Strathmore tiara at her wedding in the year 1923 and Princess Elizabeth chose to wear the Russian Fringe tiara. This design was extremely popular from the time it was made for Queen Mary in the year 1919. In the year 1981, when Princess Diana got married to Prince Charles, she chose to wear her family tiara, the Spencer Tiara. And when Catherine Middleton married Prince William in the year 2011 she chose to wear the Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara, which was originally commissioned for Queen Mother in the year 1936. And in the most recent royal wedding (May 19, 2018)when Meghan Markle married Prince Harry , she put her hands on Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara which was commissioned for her in the year 1932.

Besides weddings, tiaras were made for the queens on various other occasions such as coronation of their husbands as Emperors. For example King George V, got his wife, Queen Mary a splendid tiara made when he was crowned as the Emperor of India in the year 1911. The Tiara was famously called the Delhi Durbar Tiara.

Tiaras continued to reign the fashion world throughout the 19^th century. But soon the art movements like Art Deco and Art Nouveau changed everything. Creative storms had wrapped every aspect of culture, from architecture to jewellery. There was a major shift in terms of design, the materials used and sources of inspiration. But tiaras stood the test of time. People never lost faith in this magnificent jewel.

In the present times, there is no dearth of creativity and tiaras are inspired by every aspect of culture and fashion trends. It has moulded itself to suit everyone’s need. Be it a model on the ramp or a bride walking down the aisle. It not only beautifies the wearer but also gives them the confidence to walk with their head held high. Tiaras rightly reserve their position of one of the most gorgeous  kind of jewellery ever created.