Empress Farah Diba Jewellery

[princess olga]

Love seeing these magnificent jewels but at the same time, it helps me understand why the Iranian people, at the time, reached a point where they said: Enough with this opulence! And kicked these people with their pretentious displays of wealth out of the system so to speak.

don't get me wrong, I like Farah Diba, but the Shah was misguided I think to a fault, should have toned down the ridiculous display of wealth: could have helped keep the throne, who knows.

[iowabelle]

Originally Posted by princess olga

Love seeing these magnificent jewels but at the same time, it helps me understand why the Iranian people, at the time, reached a point where they said: Enough with this opulence! And kicked these people with their pretentious displays of wealth out of the system so to speak.

don't get me wrong, I like Farah Diba, but the Shah was misguided I think to a fault, should have toned down the ridiculous display of wealth: could have helped keep the throne, who knows.

So what do you think an acceptable display of wealth is? (This is a question that I have thought about from time to time -- not that I'm ever likely to have that problem.) Do you think the Dutch or the British royal families show off too much, or just the right amount?

[Thomas Parkman]

Well, good people, when I get sad and weary I turn to the RF to cheer me up!! Assuming that i do not get into the bad graces of the Powers that Be (again) I can just look and drool to my hearts content. Point in view: look at post no 70 which is supposedly about emerald goodies. I do not object to emerald goodies, not in the least. But picture no. 2 is a picture of a, pant, gasp, drool, magnificent sapphire, diamond tiara. Does anybody have a clue about it or are there any other pictures of it.

As for the Shah, he crime was not all that ostentatious display but that he went too far, too fast and tried to modernize a country in less than a generation instead of a century or more. He wanted Iran to be a "modern" western country and the people were not ready for that and probably did not want it. The struggle between the enlightenment and the middle ages or the classical "western" culture and the dark ages goes on today, as it has for centuries, just in a different dress. Further his was a police state, sort of like the Tsars, everybody thought he was bad, until the replacement came along and then Allah have mercy upon us!!! Cheers

[persimon]

Originally Posted by Humera

I think that the Shah might be to blame for some of the jewels' "gaudiness"
He loved to show off his wealth, whether it was through extravagant parties or equally extravagant jewels for his wives and the women in his family.

First of all I think what one defines as "guady" depends on one's taste. I don't find any of Farah's clothes or jewels "gaudy", however I think the hats and some of the clothes of today's European royalty are gaudy and silly-looking - particularly the British royals. It's all a matter of taste. I think Farah has always been one of the most well-dressed and elegant royals in of our times. So anyway, it's really a matter of taste. What you may like someone else may dislike. The shah had absolutely nothing to do with the design of jewels. That was something that was entirely out of his range.


Secondly, I think you're very wrong about the Shah. The Shah was not at all much for lavish parties or showing of jewelry and wealth. On the contrary. The imperial family of Iran lived very extremely modestly. And nobody lived more modestly than the Shah and his wife. If you ever have the chance to go to Iran and visit the "palaces" where they lived you will see what I mean. Compare that to the palaces of the royals of Europe. Your view of the shah is in unison with the often false views of him which western media reported - That he was a brutal, repressive and extravagant ruler. He was in fact the opposite: Benevolent, soft, and very simple.

[persimon]

Originally Posted by Thomas Parkman

As for the Shah, he crime was not all that ostentatious display but that he went too far, too fast and tried to modernize a country in less than a generation

The shah was not guilty of any crime - and certainly not the "crime" of modernizing his country too fast. On the contrary, most Iranians thought he didn't modernize it fast enough! His father was really the one who modernized it fast. Many Iranians may be traditional, but they love all that is modern, advanced and progressive. What they did not like about his rule was the corruption among those who surrounded him and his government officials and the elitist society these same people created. Your explanation is the simple common western explanation for his fall, and it is not quite correct. The real forces that brought about the Iranian revolution resided in the west. Certain elements in the west do not want any country to rise to the extent where they can challenge the western hegemony in any way - we see the same thing happening with Iran today. When the world order has changed, that's when Iran will be left alone.

[persimon]

Originally Posted by sol_anglada

Do you know if a non reigning queen can wear tiaras in social events?

Thanks

Dear Sol,

I don't think there are any laws or rules about these things. It pretty much is up to the queen in question. Farah is not the kind of woman who loves to show off a lot of jewels. She wore the imperial crown jewels on official occasions in Iran because she represented the monarchy. I know though that some of the relatives of the Shah have worn their private tiaras on various occasions after the revolution.

[normalil]

These jewels have taken my breath away. Magnificent.
...I meant to put a big "Thankyou all" in there too.

[auntie]

One thing I can say, is that with or without the imperial Jewels, Fara Diba portrays so much nobility, and royalty. Much much more than many young royals today, who think they can plonk on a tiara or parure and they have it done!