A Trio of Tiara Tales

I've come across some interesting stories while searching for tiara info but none of them were really long enough for posts of their own so I thought I'd share some with you all this week!

Thai Dog Tiara

Close up view of a tiara on a furry head that belongs to a Maltese dog. The tiara is made of silver titanium. The base has at least 5 square emeralds set in diamond frames. Between the emeralds are diamond swag shapes. Above the main band is an extremely large and dark oval emerald with trillion-cut diamonds on the top to the left and right. On either side of the emerald are diamond encrusted curved shapes with a large round diamond on the end. Above the emerald is a large round diamond with 2 encrusted diamond cuff shaped pieces on either side with a trillion-cut diamond on the end. Above the large round diamond is anouther cuff-shaped encrusted piece with a large teardrop-shaped diamond on the top.

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This story is from 2009. Riwin Jirapolsek, a Thai jewelry designer, was given a copius amount of jewels by his mother. He decided to do something really special with them - create a tiara for his Maltese dog, Kanune. It took him 2 months to complete the piece. Made of titanium and covered in 250 carats of diamonds and emeralds and worth $4.2 million dollars (in 2009 - today it would be worth $6.6 million!), he exhibited it at a dog show. He had no plans to sell the tiara although he did say that his next piece was going to be a hair clip for Kanune since he needed to wear clips every day otherwise his fur would block his vision. Riwin said it "...may be decorated with jewels."

I've tried searching for more info on Riwin Jirapolsek but all I find are different iterations of the same article that pop up throughout the years. I was really hoping to see a jeweled dog hair clip!

Chaumet Vertiges Tiara

Vertiges Tiara

In 2017, in partnership with Central Saint Martins art school in London, the French jewelry house Chaumet held a design challenge where students were asked to "reinvent the tiara for the 21st century." 60 students participated and the winning designer, Scott Armstrong, was chosen from a shortlist of 8.

Chaumet designs usually feature motifs inspired from the natural world but working from nature wasn't Scott's forte. Inspiration struck when

He came across a book in the library on French Formal Gardens, with the plans of gardens of grand 18th century houses, pathways curved and straight stretched out across the land. “That’s my way into nature, without drawing flowers,” he says. - source

Of the tiara's name, Armstrong says:

‘The name refers to aerial shots of those designs,’ Armstrong says. ‘It also suggests the lightheadedness you experience with vertigo.’ - source

It took nearly a year to create the tiara. The craftsman working with Armstrong said it took 1200 hours for him to build it. It has 250 tourmalines and 1200 diamonds. Once finished it became part of a 2017 Chaumet exhibition, Imperial Splendours. I believe this tiara will not be sold and will probably stay with Chaumet, living in their archives and possibly trotted out for future exhibitions.

Seahorse and Iridescent Beetle Tiara

Photo of a tiara made from silver seahorses and randomly studded with iridescent beetle shells.

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I was delighted when I found this blog post, Why Everyone Should be Wearing Tiaras, from someone who not only wanted her own tiara but went the next step and commissioned one from a jeweler for her birthday! She chose to have hers made out of silvered dried seahorses and randomly studded with iridescent beetle shells (shades of Lady Granville's Beetle Parure!) She said she wanted

...a different tiara, something a bit subversive, something unfit for a beauty queen.

Once she received her tiara she said

Being me, I of course wore the tiara the very day I received it – I’m a firm believer in wearing and using things when the excitement is still fresh. It adds to the pleasure. I can confirm that tiaras are perfect for dancing, having some cocktails and getting home around 3am. I felt fabulous and invincible, and that brings me back to the statement in the title.

Man, this sounds like someone I would like to have cocktails with. While wearing tiaras. There are a couple of other posts on her blog with photos of her wearing the tiara: Bored with Blazers and Queen of My Castle. I bet she might even go out grocery shopping in it. I know I would.

I hope you've enjoyed this week's trio of tiara stories!

image of a white rabbit popping out of his rabbit hole, looking around, and going back in. His rabbit hole is surrounded by grass and some carrots in the ground.

Thai designer reveals dog tiara
$4.2 million diamond studded tiara for a pet dog
Dog gets his day, and $4.2 million designer tiara
Chaumet nurtures young talent in 21st-century tiara design effort - interesting article on why luxury brands are teeming up with design students.
A Tiara for the 21st Century - There are 2 short videos in this article that are worth a watch, both going over the process of creating the tiara.
Why Don’t We Throw Out All the Rules About Tiaras? - Tips on daily wear tiara-ing. Seriously, just plonk it on your head and go forth proudly.
Tips on how to wear a tiara properly - some tips and hints given by Andrew Prince, who designed jewelry for Downton Abbey.
I bought this French tiara - The owner of BarbaraAnne's Hair Comb Blog bought herself a well-deserved treat, an 1880's French gilt tiara with paste stones, and shows it off.

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