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    Re-thinking the Oriental circlet tiara and opals Archived Message

    Posted by Beth on November 19, 2016, 6:52 pm

    Various authors have stated that in 1902 Queen Alexandra replaced the original opals in the Oriental circlet tiara with rubies. Because the tiara initially contained 17 opals there is a widely held belief that she shortened the tiara by 6 arches plus the spires separating the arches, as today the jewel has only 11 arches. But I wonder if Queen Alexandra did shorten it so radically.

    (From Menkes. Image originally posted by Nellie) http://members2.boardhost.com/royal-jewels/msg/1403250143.html


    Needless to say we do not have details of the head measurements of Queen Victoria and Queen Alexandra but some indications can be gained from the adjustments made by Queen Alexandra to the Diamond Diadem. According to Twinning, in 1901 Queen Alexandra adjusted the band. As a result the upper row of pearls was shortened to 81 pearls from the previous 86 and the bottom row of pearls was shortened from 94 pearls to 88. As Queen Alexandra wore the diadem on the top of her head (and not at an angle like Queen Victoria) a smaller circumference was called for; however, the information available does not suggest that Queen Alexandra made the circumference radically smaller. Because of this, I doubt if the Oriental circlet was shortened by 6 arches. The circumference of a tiara with an additional 6 arches and spires would have been enormous, and unlikely to have sat on Queen Victoria's head.

    Queen Victoria painted in 1854 wearing the Oriental circlet.


    I find the information available confusing. We are told by Munn, quoting Bury, that the tiara was re-made in 1858 after some diamonds had to be removed to settle the Hanoverian claim. If it was only a matter of substituting diamonds, it seems to me that it would be unlikely the jewel would have to be re-made. But more importantly I wonder whether it was re-made precisely the same way or if part of the jewel was altered, in particular the band?

    Below is the clearest image I have of the tiara before 1858. (According to the British Museum this print was published in 1857 http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3554887&partId=1&people=90375&peoA=90375-2-61&page=1) It seems to me that the band is slightly different from the current jewel but, as I have only a low quality reproduction of a print, it is almost impossible to be certain.




    Twinning's description of the tiara has made me wonder if originally there might have been small opals in the band; however, I find Twinning's phraseology confusing, so I might be mistaken. If the original tiara had opals in the band then the 6 "centre pieces" as Twinning refers to them on the band may have held opals. And these might have been removed by Queen Victoria during the re-make in 1858 or by Queen Alexandra in 1902.



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    • Re-thinking the Oriental circlet tiara and opals - Beth November 19, 2016, 6:52 pm