Arthur, your politeness is much appreciated and by no means my remark was meant as a personal dig at your appreciation of the parure. I do think though that apart from personal taste there are objective criteria for the success of a design.
If a necklace is converted permanently into a tiara and still awkwardly looks like an upside down worn necklace something went wrong.
With today's hairdos airy arches in a tiara are always a bit difficult to pull off, but in this particular case the main problem is that they don't correspond with the (gorgeous) large rhombical sapphire in the centre. That they seem to mirror the wearer's eye-brows certainly doesn't help. The two lateral square sapphires, which could balance the centre stone, disappear in the coiffure. IMO the most obvious fault is the tin-soldier-like upright position of the three central sapphire drops.
All this has to do with the designer's lack of talent and skills - or simply his or her lazyness to deal with the particular problems caused by a conversion of an existing piece into something else - and not so much with personal taste. I see the same problem with the Countess of Wessex's wedding tiara and frankly find it quite surprising that neither the Queen nor somebody in charge with her jewellery would have higher demands regarding the (re)design of prominent pieces. It's not that nobody would be around who was able to meet these challenges!
--Previous Message-- : Just a matter of personal taste, of course, : but I like this tiara. Of course, it still : looks like a necklace worn upside-down : rather than a "real" tiara, but : the tiara mounting has been cleverly made, : and the delicate pattern of the : necklace/tiara fits the Queen's face quite : well, I think. : : I just regret that it does not seem possible : to turn the tiara into a necklace and : vice-versa, at will. I would like to see it : worn in its original form, as a necklace. : : I remember someone (I do not remember who, : sorry) had posted some time ago a : photoshopped version of the tiara, on which : the two lateral central sapphire drops were : mounted diagonally rather than vertically. : Just a small (virtual) change, but the tiara : looked better that way. Has someone saved : this picture? : : --Previous Message-- : : The sapphires have a lovely colour, but : whoever created the tiara should not be : allowed to come even close to any major : piece of jewellery ever again. : : :
on July 22, 2014, 7:29 am, in reply to "