Malaysia officially crowned the country’s 17th king on Sunday at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur. King Sultan Ibrahim was joined by his wife, Queen Raja, for the official coronation proceedings, for which the royals wore traditional garb and glittering, historic jewels.
For the ceremony, King Sultan Ibrahim wore an ornately designed traditional wardrobe in shades of gold, yellow and black. At his side, Queen Raja of Malaysia fashioned attire with similar hues of yellow to that of her husband’s apparel.
Queen Raja, however, also wore a few pieces of jewelry with historic meaning, ideal for the coronation ceremonies. Among them, the royal wore the Gendik Diraja tiara. The glittering jewelry piece, which comes from Malaysia’s collection of crown jewels, was originally created in the 1950s. The tiara has been worn by other Malaysian queens in the past.
The first design of the tiara initially featured a comb style, with a central star-shaped ornament and upward-facing crescent moon at its center. The original design also included intricately placed floral elements in the tiara.
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Nearly three decades after it was originally created, the Gendik Diraja tiara was redesigned by Garrard in 1984. In the updated iteration of the tiara, the Gandik Diraja no longer features a comb-style. Instead, it’s rounded and features additional, versatile elements.
The tiara can also be broken down and worn as a necklace and brooches. Queen Raja also wore a dazzling necklace along with the tiara. The piece of royal jewelry also includes a bevy of diamonds and, much like the Gendik Diraja tiara, was redesigned in the 1980s.
The updated version of the necklace, like the tiara Queen Raja wore on coronation day, can also be broken down into several other pieces of jewelry, including brooches and earrings.
Like many royals across the globe, Queen Raja follows a significant tradition when it comes to her jewelry selections. The pieces she wore not only honored the past and the jewelry’s previous wearers, but also embraced modernity and Malaysia’s next chapter.
