We haven’t shared about an iconic piece of jewelry in a while and what better than the story of the Burmese Ruby Tiara, commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II herself!
Queen Elizabeth II found herself without a tiara with rubies as her mother, the new Queen Mother, had the Indian Circlet in her collection at the time (Queen Elizabeth II inherited the circlet and other pieces upon her mother’s death).
Elizabeth commissioned jeweler, Garrard & Co to create a new tiara from diamonds and rubies taken from two other pieces. The diamonds came the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara, a floral tiara made by Cartier in 1935, which had been a wedding gift. The 96 rubies were a gift from the people of Burma, now Myanmar. The tiara was completed in 1973 and takes the form of a wreath of roses, with silver and diamonds making the petals, and clusters of gold and rubies forming the center of the flowers. The roses are reminiscent of the Tudor rose.
Elizabeth wore the tiara often, with the last time being in June 2019. King Charles III inherited the tiara upon her death and Queen Camilla first wore the tiara in November of 2023.
Gorgeous jewelry, fit for a Queen! Stop in to Bridgewaters to find your new favorite piece!