When we think of royalty, images of crowns, tiaras, and diadems instantly come to mind. Beautiful head ornaments intricately crafted in gold and encrusted with rare gemstones were once used as symbols of nobility, status, and the right to rule. They dazzled onlookers with their splendor, and even though royal families may have faded in political power, their relics continue to captivate.
In honor of turquoise, a traditional birthstone for December, let’s take a closer look at one such relic – a diadem once owned by the Empress Marie-Louise (1791-1847), the second wife of Emperor Napoleon I (1769-1821).
Empress Marie-Louise Diadem
‘What is a diadem?’ you might ask. A diadem encircles the head, usually three quarters of the way around with an opening in the back, and can be worn by men or women. (A crown is a royal headdress which completely encircles the head. A tiara is a smaller headpiece worn by women on formal occasions.)
Set in silver and gold, the Empress Marie-Louise Diadem features 79 cabochons of Persian turquoise (540 carats total weight) and 1,006 old mine cut diamonds (700 carats total weight). Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution.
The Empress Marie-Louise Diadem was originally part of a parure, a set of jewelry consisting of a diadem, necklace, earrings, comb, and belt buckle. The parure was a wedding gift from Napoleon to his second wife, Empress Marie Louise in the early spring of 1810. The pieces, fashioned in gold and silver and set with emeralds and diamonds, were designed and made by the firm Etienne Nitot et Fils of Paris. A portion of the set, the emerald and diamond necklace and earrings, are on display in the Louvre. The comb has been disassembled.
Upon Marie-Louise’s death in 1847, the diadem went to her aunt, a member of the Swedish royal family, who was a descendant of the Hapsburg line as was Marie-Louise. In 1953, the diadem was sold to Van Cleef & Arpels who removed the emeralds and undertook a newspaper advertising campaign encouraging prospective buyers to purchase an emerald from “The Napoleonic Tiara”.
Van Cleef & Arpels reset the diadem with 79 Persian turquoises weighing a total of 540 carats and 1,006 old mine cut diamonds weighing a total of 700 carats. Marjorie Merriweather Post purchased the refashioned turquoise and diamond Empress Marie-Louise Diadem from Van Cleef & Arpels in 1971, donating it to the Smithsonian the same year.
The turquoise gemstones in the Empress Marie-Louise Diadem have a saturated blue color caused by the presence of copper during formation. For turquoise, the evenness of color is its overriding value factor.A relatively soft gemstone (5-6 on the Mohs scale of hardness), turquoise with lower porosity and a finer texture is more desirable.
Have you visited the gemstone exhibit at the Smithsonian and seen the Empress Marie-Louise Diadem in person?
Famous Birthstone Series
Thank you for following the famous birthstone series on the 4Cs blog in 2015. We hope you enjoyed each of the pieces featured through the year.
Take a look at the past famous gemstones that have appeared on our blog this year: garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, diamond, emerald, pearl, ruby, peridot, sapphire, opal, and topaz. Which one was your favorite famous piece?