Harry Winston photo/AP photo
The Harry Winston Diamond de Neige tiara.
Wannabe princesses, rejoice. These days, getting your hands on your own tiara is much easier than finding Prince Charming.
Karolina Kurkova models pyjamas— and a tiara — in a current Victoria’s Secret catalogue, and Crowned, a new CW reality show, debuts this month with mother-daughter teams duking it out to win a pair of matching tiaras in a pageant finale.
As part of Harry Winston’s new snowflake-themed Diamond de Neige collection, there’s a tiara with 34.42 carats of marquise, pear-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds worth $215,000 US. Cartier has one valued at $455,000 US with diamonds, rubies, pink sapphires, morganite, green beryls, peridots, garnets and amethyst.
On a tighter budget? Hair accessory brand Scunci has an Art Deco-style silver and rhinestone tiara in its Vintage Glam collection for $9.99.
Of course, there are tiaras-as-toys for princess-crazed little girls and the silly kind for New Year’s Eve. But the real thing, the as-big-as-your-mortgage-lock-it-in-a-safe tiaras, are intended for women, for their weddings, birthday parties and charity balls.
“Something shocking happened last year,” says Susy Korb, executive vice-president and creative director of Harry Winston. “We sold two tiaras within two weeks in the U.S. … These were real people, accomplished people, celebrating life’s milestones with tiaras. Tiaras are such a happy piece of jewelry.”
They’re also an undeniable, in-your-face status symbol.”Tiaras were initially worn at ceremonies and festive occasions as an outward sign of privileged status — they revealed financial power,” Frederic de Narp, president and CEO of Cartier North America, says. “Tiaras were also used to convey a mood, make a style statement … a woman who wears a tiara stands out among those around her.”
