The Stunning History Of Tiaras - Cashmere, Wool and Silk directory

Tiaras have always been associated with royalty, romance and glamour, when either worn by a Queen or Empress at a state occasion. Famous princesses have been known to wear tiaras for their wedding days, but more recently celebrities are known for flaunting the tiara. Here in this article we look at the history of the tiara and how to it came to be the popular jewellery accessory it now is. From Princess Diana through to Audrey Hepburn in the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany's the tiara is still recognised worldwide as it was in the past.

According to Greek legend it was the God Dionysus who created the head ornament we call the 'Diadem'. The word itself does come from the Greek 'Diadein' which translates to 'bind around.' Although head jewellery made from foliage, flowers and later on metal were associated with ancient civilisations such as the Etruscans and the Scythians.

The actual word 'tiara' is actually Persian and the name first presented the high peaked head dresses of the Persian Kings. The head dresses were encircled by 'diadems' (bands of purple and white decoration) that were later adapted by Alexander and his successors as symbol of royal power. Now the word tiara is used to describe almost every form of decorative head piece.

The Romans had a high regard for both the skill and artistry of the Greeks, and took inspiration from them in many ways. They especially admired the Greek wreaths and diadems. The Roman's played a part in the evolution of the tiara; this was through the use of precious stones as decoration. Amethyst, Diamonds, Pearls, Sapphires and Emeralds all were available to the Roman craftsmen as their Empire expanded. The beautiful colours and refractive qualities of these stones started to play an important part in the tiaras jewellery design.

The crowning of a bride on her wedding day is powerfully symbolic within western culture; the tiara represents her loss of innocence and the triumph of love. This symbol has played an important part in many ceremonies for thousands of years. This head dress is usually represented by other cultures as a simple garland of flowers, however within the western world the tiara is the most striking emblem of this rite of passage. Even today tiaras are created with beautiful materials, many worn for the wedding day and later serving as a special reminder of the important day. The wedding day within modern society is probably the only day a woman can wear a tiara as they are the most elegant and dramatic of all the jewels a bride can wear.