Tiaras still reign supreme. These jewelry pieces look and feel like they come straight out of fairy tales, owned by royalty and aristocracy from Europe and America alike. Throughout history, many tiaras increased in value, with several sold for millions at auction.
Nancy Astor’s turquoise and diamond Cartier tiara recently surpassed expectations during its auction at Bonhams London Jewels. Astor was an American-born member of British Parliament, married to Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor. While the piece’s estimated value was between 250,000 and 350,000 pounds, the tiara sold for 889,400 pounds, or roughly $1.2 million.
Ahead, WWD breaks down the history of some of the most expensive tiaras.
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Diamond Hübner tiara from the Bourbon Parma Royal Collection, $967,990
This diamond tiara was crafted by Austrian jeweler Hübner for Maria Anna of Austria in 1912, who married Prince Elias, Duke of Parma, in 1903. The tiara was sold at auction at Sotheby’s Geneva in November 2018.
Grand Duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Fabergé tiara, $1.2 Million
A tiara belonging to Grand Duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland, this unique Belle Époque aquamarine and diamond tiara by Fabergé sold at auction with Christie’s Geneva in May 2019.
Pearl and Diamond Garrard tiara, $1.57 Million
The Garrard-designed Pearl and Diamond tiara sold for $1.6 million at Christie’s London in June 2011. The value of the jewelry piece was originally estimated to be between $1,353,550 and $2,030,325. The piece comes circa 1878 and features a convertible element. The tiara features a series of six button-shaped natural pearls and old-cut diamond clusters, interspersed with diamond florettes, which transition to seven detachable, graduated, drop-shaped natural pearls and diamond surmounts.
Duchess of Roxburghe Cartier tiara, $2.3 Million
The Duchess of Roxburghe Cartier tiara was sold at auction with Sotheby’s Geneva in May 2015. The piece was crafted in the 1930s for Mary, Duchess of Roxburgh, who served as a canopy bearer at the 1937 coronation of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and King George VI.
The Murat Tiara, $3.87 Million
This pearl and diamond jewel was crafted in 1920 by Joseph Chaumet for the marriage of Prince Alexandre Murat to Yvonne Gillois. The piece was sold at auction at Sotheby’s in Geneva.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Mike Todd Tiara, $4.2 Million
Elizabeth Taylor married her third husband, Mike Todd, in 1957. As a wedding present, the film producer gifted the Oscar-winning “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” actress with an antique diamond tiara, circa 1880. “When Mike gave me this jewel, he said to me: ‘You are my queen, and I think you should have a tiara,’” Taylor wrote in “My Love Affair With Jewelry.”
Taylor wore the tiara at the 1957 Academy Awards and then at the Cannes Film Festival. Todd was killed in a plane crash one year after the couple married. The tiara was sold at auction in 2011 for $4.2 million.
The Henckel von Donnersmarck tiara, $12.7 Million
The Henckel von Donnersmarck tiara was previously part of the collection of Princess Katherina Henckel von Donnersmarck, a member of Germany’s noble family. When it was auctioned off at Sotheby’s Geneva in May 2011, it set a new record as the most expensive tiara ever sold at auction. The tiara features emeralds from Colombia and a base of large, cushion-shaped diamonds. The Henckel von Donnersmarck tiara includes botanical motifs with leaves and floral inspiration.
