Queen Mary of Denmark has ended an important year with a brand new tiara. She used existing pieces in the Danish collection to create what’s already being called the Diamond Rose Bandeau Tiara. But where did these pieces originally belong? 

Queen Mary chose to use several stones from a piece known as a gürtel – a long chain and pendant worn around the waist. This piece belonged to a rose-cut diamond parure that was created in the 1840s by Queen Caroline Amalie. 

Queen Caroline Amalie, wife of King Christian VIII, used several rose-cut diamonds that belonged to an earlier member of the family, Princess Charlotte Amalie. German jeweller C.M. Weishaupt & Söhne of Hanau created the pieces.

Known as the Rosenstone set, the gürtel and pendant were mis-identified for several years. Instead, it was labelled as a necklace until the original invoice was located. The pendant can be split into two separate brooches. 

Queen Margrethe rarely wore these rose-cut diamond pieces. She did wear one of the brooches to a theatre performance marking her 50th birthday. The pieces have been on display for several years. 

Interestingly, the gürtel was not meant to entirely circle the waist. It would instead be stitched onto the wearer’s gown at the front. 

Now, it has helped create a new tiara for a new queen as she marks a year as Denmark’s consort.