This time around we are in the not so deep Belgian vaults, taking a look at their “big gun” tiara: The Nine Provinces Tiara.
The Facts
The Nine Provinces Tiara joined the Belgian vault in 1926, as a wedding present from the people of Belgium to Princess Astrid of Sweden, upon her marriage to King Leopold III. Designed and created by Belgian jeweler Van Bever, this tiara holds more than 100 carats of diamonds. This tiara started as a bandeau in a stylized Greek key motif, topped by 11 Congolese diamonds. A set of diamond arches was added later, bringing us to the tiara we know today.
The Case For the Tiara
LG: I actually like this one. For a not so big tiara collection, this is a worthy big gun tiara. And Mathilde wears it to perfection.
LiL: Ehhhh… I do like the base with out the picket fence, So it gets one thumb up from me.
The Handbag: Looking at it in the photo above, I quite like it. It is regal and queenly and definitely sparkly. Seeing it head on changes my opinion, so I’ll just keep looking at the above photo and floating in the Tiara Bathtub of Happiness.
The Case Against the Tiara
OC: No, thank you 100 carats of poorly designed elements. The top row’s shapes remind me of the yard statues in praise of Mary. The bottom scroll stands better alone, but still not a favorite.
What do you guys think?