Hair ornaments similar to tiaras go as far back as ancient Greece. Gold bands styled with laurel leaves and flowers were given as prizes to athletes and warriors. The 18th century saw the rise of what we would today refer to as a tiara, this is mostly thought to be a result of advances in cutting gemstones as it gave lapidaries the opportunity to showcase their skills, combining this with the revival of classical styles, it created the perfect environment for tiaras to flourish.
This extraordinary convertible tiara/necklace changes into a tiara from a necklace and also two styles of drop earrings and a pendant. It is set with twenty six oval old cut natural unenhanced Pigeon's blood Burmese rubies which have a combined approximate weight of an impressive 33.04 carats.
The most important mines for rubies are undoubtedly the Burmese mines from the Mogok region in Upper Burma (Myanmar). These mines have been worked for centuries and produce the finest, gem quality stones of a very distinctive red with specific inclusions. It is from here that the highly revered 'Pigeon's blood' hue is found, a saturated red hue with blue undertones. Although mining is still active there, the yield is somewhat insignificant to what it used to be, very rarely producing the quality rubies that were mined many years ago. This means rarity is a huge factor when it comes to the fine rubies from this region, as it is such a distinguishing feature, hard to find and highly sought after. Bearing in mind the rarity of the hue of these rubies, matching them within a piece of jewellery is exceptionally hard to achieve, especially with natural unenhanced stones.
Convertible jewellery has been popular throughout the ages. During the Edwardian period pieces of jewellery had multiple uses so could be worn for many different purposes. Brooches could be worn as pendants, rings could become pairs of stud earrings, necklaces could become tiaras, the possabilities were endless! The skill and craftsmanship needed to create these changing pieces was incredible.
The piece is further set with two hundred and thirty cushion shape old mine diamonds in open back claw settings with a combined impressive approximate weight of 56.00 carats. This tiara is accompanied by a fitted box and by a Gem Research Swisslab report for every Pigeon's Blood Burmese ruby. The quality of natural gemstones used, the craftmanship, design and covertible structure together create this extroadinary piece of jewelley. At Berganza, we hold one of the largest collections of antique jewellery, discover our range of antique and vintage tiaras.
