Re: Portugal - Ugly jewels set - "Fastes et Grandeur des Cours en Europe" Archived Message
Posted by Carlo on September 12, 2012, 6:15 pm, in reply to "Re: Portugal - Ugly jewels set - "Fastes et Grandeur des Cours en Europe" "
I must admit that when I see jewels on display, I mean not worn by a person, very often I don't like to see the armature or skeleton of the base which has to fit the head, in order to keep the tiara in balance, especially when I see like a stripe of velvet, that in many tiaras it remains visible even when they are on somebody's head. I appreciate when, in order tho hyde those horrible bases, sometimes a diamonds rivière or a row of pearls are added at the base. --Previous Message-- : I also have seen these fabulous jewels in an : exibition many years ago at Ajuda Palace in : Lisbon. In fact I actually liked them, they : are quite unusual. Not ugly at all to me. : : The diamonds are huge and indeed of superb : quality, and the yellow diamond in the : center of the larger star is one of the : finest in the world, it's called "the : Maria Pia diamond". : I defenitelly like the stars but agree the : necklace seems a very unconventional way of : design to display them. On the other hand : the necklace's design is quite unique, it's : the only necklace I know with such design. : Would't call it striking gorgeous but : definatelly not ugly, I find it interesting. : : As to the tiara, the picture shows how the : stars are displayed for exibition nowadays, : but in Queen Maria Pia's time the larger : stars were disposed on a single row, on a : frame, and had a riviére of diamonds bellow. : There are pictures of Queen Amélia wearing : them. They had gold spirals atached (visible : in the picture) so when the Queen walked the : stars would move a bit and show all their : glitter. It was known as "O diadema das : estrelas moventes" (The moving stars : diadem). Apart from the stars on the : necklace and the tiara there were several : smaller stars to be worn as hair pins or : corsage elements. Queen Amélia's pictures : show her wearing several in her corsage. : In the 1950's the portuguese governement : decided to restore the royal jewels, nearly : forgotten since the fall of the monarchy in : 1910. The jeweller in charge decided to : place all the stars on a frame as a way to : display the whole set. As this is how they : are shown nowadays. : : Queen Amélia wearing the real star tiara : : http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/amelia-queen-of-portugal-wife-of-carlos-i-news-photo/3300782 : : Wearing a large star as corsage brooch : : http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/amelia-last-queen-of-portugal-born-amelia-of-orleans-news-photo/89860910 : : : : : : : --Previous Message-- : Last year at the exibition in Monte Carlo : "Fastes et Grandeur des Cours en : Europe", I had the opportunity of : seeing from very close some important jewels : we all know very well. : : Among the pieces on display there was Queen : Maria Pia of Portugal's diamonds star : necklace (which has a matching tiara), which : IMHO they are quite ugly, because their : design is too sharp, spiky, it gives the : idea that the person wearing them could cut : herself and get hurt. The diamonds are : beautuful, top quality, nearly a waste for : those jewels. : : They were made by an Italian jeweller for an : Italian Princess, as an Italian I find them : ugly. What do you think? : : The description in the exibition catalogue : on page 48 (of which I enclose the : link)enhances the beauty of these jewels of : Etruscan inspiration. : Here are the photos and the link to the : catalogue: : : : the link to the catalogue: : : : http://www.grimaldiforum.com/images/evenements-culturels-monaco/146-presse-fr-fastes-et-grandeur-des-cours-en-europe.pdf : : :
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