Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
February’s birthstone, the amethyst, is found across royal jewellery collections. However, it is the Swedish royal family that has one of the most impressive pieces: the Napoleonic Amethyst Tiara.
The Napoleonic Amethyst Tiara began life as a necklace that reportedly belonged to Empress Josephine, Napoleon’s first wife. The necklace featured several large round amethysts surrounded by diamonds. She gave it to her daughter, Princess Josephine of Leuchtenberg, in 1823 when she married into the Swedish royal family.
While the necklace was worn by generations of women in the family, Queen Silvia decided to make changes to several pieces when she married into the family in 1976.
Silvia had one of the large amethyst and diamond clusters removed from the necklace and had it set on a frame to create a circlet-style tiara. The tiara originally belonged to a parure that included bracelets and earrings; Silvia also had the bracelets reset into a necklace and will often wear the tiara and necklace together.
The Swedish queen is not the only royal who enjoys this beautiful amethyst diadem, though. Crown Princess Victoria first wore the tiara in 2001 for a State Visit to Belgium. Her younger sister, Princess Madeleine, has also worn the stunning piece, including to the 2012 Nobel Prize ceremony.