Worst Royal Jewels 2


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Oh, LadyCat, purr-lease (couldn't resist!!!)--I've been looking at that photo of LIlian for a while wavering back and forth on whether the necklace was the tiara or vice versa. We were just lucky that someone posted a photo in the other thread! BUt, I do have to say that seeing the two pieces worn together in a harmonious fashion makes it look less bad--but it is still an odd looking piece. The necklace e isn't too bad-but again, nothing of Lilian's is in my favorites category--well, maybe those HUGE diamond drop earrings--did you see them! They were huge.
 
You know, good people, we could do something truly cruel and paste the blasted ball of horror on the marvelous Lillian and then plop that scarab oyster constipation on Poor long suffering MII. do not get me wrong. I adore Lillian. I think she is wonderful. Just how wonderful lies in the fact that only she can pull off the six button diamond ghastly-imagine using the buttons off a dead man's uniform for a tiara-I don't care if they are diamonds. Cheers.
 
You know, I think that QEII's Brazilian aquamarine tiara is one of the most monstrous things out there (it reminds me of an art-deco style auto dealership near where I grew up - not the kind of aesthetic leap you'd expect from a monarch's jewelry). But I love emerald-cut aquamarines, diamonds and platinum. I still dream of a ring I once saw in a jeweler's window in Italy ...

Anyway, my point is that I think that her aquamarine collection could be reset and made beautiful. The stones themselves are beautiful. I love the Napoleonic-era parures, particularly the sapphire ones of the French and the famous Leuchtenberg parure. I think that someone could reset those aquamarines in this particular style and make a gorgeous set out of them.

Am I crazy?
 
I do not think it monstrous, but poorly designed. I agree with you, the gemstones are magnificent. The design of the piece is gangly, awkward and unbalanced. The tiara needs to be taken apart and redisigned with maybe some slight modification or recutting of the larger stones. The reconstruction needs more diamonds in it. Same for the necklace. Which is a pity, because the colour of the gems go so well with Lillian's complexion. As I have said before when QEII last wore the thing, she made the tiara, the tiara did not make her. Just goes to show that even the most marvelous gems in the world wasted in a mediocre or poor design are, well wasted.

I have always had a problem with the Nowegian emerald tiara. The large central emerald has always stuck out like a sore thumb in what is otherwise a wonderful masterpiece of the jewelers are. Now I realive the stone needs to be recut to have more sides to it, the emerald below it removed and the stone reset at an angle to match that of the other large gems on top of the jewel. Lovely. Cheers.
 
Oh, I agree with you. With both that particular tiara and the Brazilian aquamarine monstrosity, having a prominently displayed, huge emerald-cut gemstone makes it look like the ladies are playing a high-class version of that poker game where you stick the playing card on your forehead.

I'd read somewhere that the Norwegian emerald tiara had been robbed of the two pear shaped emeralds which had once flanked the center stone in order to make the matching earrings. Bad move! At least there'd have been a graduated increase in size of the large gemstones, but now the center-cut gem stands alone. You have an artist's eye - it's completely out of balance now.
 
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Complete and total agreement!
Here's a pic for all to see:
http://image54.webshots.com/54/3/17/49/2997317490056005517VsFUvm_fs.jpg

It has never looked "right" to me--I think the stones are beautiful, but plunking that square stone down on top like that just doesn't work. Pity--
I do like this emerald tiara:
http://image54.webshots.com/54/1/42/9/2662142090056005517xjIlEV_fs.jpg

However, I have always found this one to look odd:
Emerald & Diamond tiara from Westphalian noble family pictures from history photos on webshots
it appears to be two tiaras with one plunked down atop the other. The bottom one with the emerald is actually quite nice (I rather like the Greek Key design)
 
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I have to agree the center emerald looks out of place and sticks out like a sore thumb. The tiara would have looked so much better had the design been continuous and the center emerald made into a lovely broach. Though it is by far not the worst tiara we've laid eyes on (Queen Margrethe's golden poppy hair net comes to mind :D).

Cat
 
Most interesting. I have known for some time that the earings to the parure were made with emeralds taken from the original tiara. It had to have been done during or before the 1930's. I wonder if a photo exists anywhere of the tiara in its original form. Then one could judge whether the origianal was unbalnce or not. Given the inherent elegance of jewels of that era, particularly of French construction, I dare say the origianal was in all likelihood balaced and much more elegant and beautiful with all of the gemstones that its present version. Cheers.
 
Two tiaras in one...doesn't look good.
Why don't separated them and do two?
 
Thomas Parkman said:
Most interesting. I have known for some time that the earings to the parure were made with emeralds taken from the original tiara. It had to have been done during or before the 1930's. I wonder if a photo exists anywhere of the tiara in its original form. Then one could judge whether the origianal was unbalnce or not. Given the inherent elegance of jewels of that era, particularly of French construction, I dare say the origianal was in all likelihood balaced and much more elegant and beautiful with all of the gemstones that its present version. Cheers.
Click to expand...

Here you can find very good photos of both versions
http://www.angelfire.com/la3/lone_mor/kongelige_s_smaragd.html
 
^^Am I blind? I only see the tiara in its current state in the link posted.

Cat
 
I think the tiara suited a much younger Queen Sonja. I guess it all depends upon the wearer. Regardless, I like it.
 
That yellow ballgown with the emeralds looks odd. I don't like the combination--but the necklace that accompanies this tiara--beautiful. What clarity, and simplicity of design. I love it.
However, the tiara---looking at the earrings, would they have been set with the pear shaped points touching the top of the square and then fanning out? Pity--I'd love to see the tiara in its original form.
 
Thomas Parkman said:
Most interesting. I have known for some time that the earings to the parure were made with emeralds taken from the original tiara. It had to have been done during or before the 1930's. I wonder if a photo exists anywhere of the tiara in its original form. Then one could judge whether the origianal was unbalnce or not. Given the inherent elegance of jewels of that era, particularly of French construction, I dare say the origianal was in all likelihood balaced and much more elegant and beautiful with all of the gemstones that its present version. Cheers.
Click to expand...
Here is a link to photos of the original tiara. Scroll down to the March 10, 2006 entry - it's pictured in three little B&W photos. I think the balance is much better (the left and center pictures really give that sense) although there's still something about the way the emeralds are set that makes me think of a deck of playing cards (a terrible association to make when viewing a tiara!).

Royal Jewels of the World
 
Indeed. The tiara was lovlier with the pear-shaped emeralds. However, it is by no means ugly or odd without them. Before, any face could've probably pulled off a good look wearing it. Not the same as it stands today though. I think CPss Mette Marit would look better wearing it than say CPss Mary with her delicate bone structure.
 
I posted a query on The Royal Jewels of the World message board and Jandeventer kindly responded with a wonderful photo which was posted. However, I don't who to give credit for the picture to so I'm posting the link to the photo--
Royal Jewels of the World Message Board: Re: Norwegian Emerald Tiara
I'm not sure how I feel about this tiara--can't decide if it's bad or just bulky?
 
are you all kidding? :eek:

The Emerald Tiara is my absolutely favourite Tiara. The Impressive stones and everything.

In my opinion it does not belong into this thread.
Matter of taste... of course.

My taste:
I love the Emerald Tiara! :wub:
In my opinion it is the most gorgeous Tiara in the Norwegian collection.

Princess wearing Emeralds
(Scanpix)
 
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It's not a bad piece, but I do agree that it lacks a certain balance--it is symmetrical to be sure, but there is just a little too much going on with that central stone. Now, the stone itself it TO DIE FOR! I do love emeralds, after all--and this is an historic parue--the necklace is amazing---but I've often thought that the piece looks a bit, well, is clunky the right word???

Here is a tiara that I regularly waver upon-- the Burmese Ruby Tiara commissioned by QEII--second one down on this page:
Tiara QEIIruby

To me, the thing is a waste of stunning rubies and impressive diamonds. I'm sure in person it is a sight to behold, but looking at the photos of it, I'm less than overwhelmed. It looks like a pagent tiara with fireworks bursting out of it--in my own, humble opinion.:angel:
 
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Thanks for posting this. I still think those pear shaped stones should go back onto the tiara - I think the tiara is diminished by losing them, and I also think that this photo shows that the tiara doesn't demand huge earrings to set it off.

Personally, I'd also place the side emeralds on the square (rather than point -side down) to add a little more symmetry with the center emerald, but that's just me. They are such beautiful stones, after all.
 
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The thing is drop dead gorgeous, wonderful and simply beautiful and I would not want to mangle the large central stone but if it could be angled differently to match the other large emeralds on the top of the tiara that might help. It is a magnificent piece. I cannot make up my mind about whether the two gemstones removed should be replaced. But with them it would be magnificent and maybe not so unbalanced. But let us enjoy its imperfections. Sort of on the order of an imperfect work of Beethoven, better than anybody else's perfect work don't you think.

As for the Burmese tiara I have changed my mind on it so many times!!! It has great beauties, the gemstones are marvelous. Maybe if they had a complete parure to go with it some of the qualms would not be so intense. But worst jewels these are not. But it is certainly a fun place to discuss them. cheers.
 
The central stone is gorgeous and I would kill to have it (welllll, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration) however, even if it were repositioned, it would still look off. The large stone just throws off the entire balance of the piece,


As for the Burmese Ruby tiara -- there is just something about it that looks, dare I say it, cheap. I can't put my finger on what, exactly, gives me that impression, certainly not the rubies or diamonds themselves, they are to die for! There is just something about the design that doesn't work for me.

Cat
 
To me, I think that it may be the two-tone setting that gives it the less than desirable look. Maybe?
 
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The Norwegian Tiara looks top heavy whenver anyone wears it--my opinion. Beautiful stones, and a nice piece--but not my favorite. I don't know which is my favorite--it wavers. Right now probably the amethyst in the Swedish collection.
 
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The Norwegian Tiara looks top heavy whenver anyone wears it...
Click to expand...

I can't agree with that, personally...;)

It's an exquisite piece and looks simply wonderful on Sonja. Never have I seen a photo where it looks top heavy, not once. Infact, it's anything but.

I believe it will look absolutely smashing on Mette-Marit.

An example of 'top heavy'...

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k225/comtessede/73644903.jpg
 
Madame Royale said:
An example of 'top heavy'...

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k225/comtessede/73644903.jpg
Click to expand...

Well, I cannot disagree with that at all--the Grand Duchess looks like she's about to topple over! Josephine-Charlotte wore that piece very well, though.

I was thinking, with regard to the Norwegian Emerald Tiara--perhaps it is a matter of scale--are there any full length photos of the piece, with the wearer's entire body beeing seen (feet, head, torso, etc...)--perhaps that will give a new perspective for me.

As for my favorite tiara--well, LadyCat, I know that my avatar is the Teck Crescent--which is a little odd looking itself (but I like it) but that is because I am waiting for it to reappear! My favorites regularly waver, but the one I most want to see is the Teck, hopefully on a certain Duchess soon!
 
The Teck Crescent is a lovely tiara and one of my favorites as well (I admit I have many). As for the Emerald tiara -- whle it may not belong in the "Worst Jewels" thread, it does need help.

Cat
 
The emerald really does not belong here. It is gorgeous! Maybe we could get some of our resident photoshoppers to but the Norwegian Tiara on Mette-Marit in the photoshopping thread?;) Any takers?:whistling:
 
Here's a link that LadyK graciously found posted by our own super mod, Her_Majesty.

Mette-Marit looks wonderful.:flowers:
 
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