TIARAS ARE BACK!
For five years, Downton Abbey has thrilled television audiences with its high drama. But it’s also had an effect on our fashion industry – vintage-style dresses are available on the high street and, on a grander scale, the tiara is making a comeback.
Established in 1880, Skinner & Co, now Bentley & Skinner, has supplied jewellery to the Royal Family since the latter years of Queen Victoria’s reign. A true British institution, there seems no better place to learn about tiaras – and of course try some on! Omar Vaja, who has been with the company since 1993, tells me a bit about the history of the tiara.
‘Once upon a time the nobility used to wear just a simple cloth headband, showing that they were noble,’ he says. ‘Later on the pieces became a bit more ornate, including the use of laurel leaves, which were always associated with aristocrats, nobility and rulers.’
Today, the tiara as we know it is an option for anyone. ‘With new-found wealth coming out of industry, especially in America, the new socialite took over. Regardless of whether you were titled or not, as long as you had money you would have a tiara and you threw tiara balls. There used to be very strict rules about tiaras but today those rules have eased.’
From left: Our own Lady Melonie models the Downton tiara. Omar modelling his favourite tiara
Looking around the shop in London’s Piccadilly, it’s awash with beautiful things that sparkle and shine. I ask if certain grand occasions required a tiara adorned with specific jewels.
‘No,’ says Omar, ‘basically you wore what you had and important families always had more than one tiara.’
Then he shares with me his idea of tiara perfection. ‘My favourite combination is pearl and diamond because I think that together these are just so feminine and very gracious.’
With so much of the family fortune being sunk into a piece of resplendent headgear, people learnt how to make the most of the product, especially the Victorians.
‘The Victorians were very clever in the sense that they knew if they were putting all this wealth into a tiara, they would try to make it work for them. They made them convertible so they could be broken down into several brooches or a necklace, so one piece of jewellery could be adapted for many occasions.’
For ladies wanting to wear a tiara when they get married, there is a lot to think about when it comes to choosing the right one. ‘Most brides would love to wear a tiara on their wedding day but you have to be careful what sort you choose,’ says Omar. ‘A tiara is just part of the adornment. The bride is what matters, not the accessories, so it shouldn’t overshadow the bride’s personality.
‘The shape of the face is important when choosing, and it helps to get advice from a professional hairdresser because it’s not easy to wear a tiara; it needs to be fitted in a certain way. In the 1700s and 1800s ladies didn’t have clean hair, but the dirtier the hair, the better things grip. This is why I think you will find most hairdressers will actually advise not to wash the hair on the day, so it’s easier to style.’
Other than weddings, when else is it acceptable to wear a tiara? ‘There are occasions for which tiaras are still required, such as the State Opening of Parliament; normally they are evening attire, but that’s the one time during the day tiaras can be worn. The Lord Mayor’s Banquet, diplomatic balls at Buckingham Palace, tiaras are worn on any state occasion.’
Casting my eye over gorgeous examples costing from £25,000 to £125,000, I finally get the chance to have my princess moment and try some on. Standing in front of the mirror, wondering if I could get away with this look for work, I ask Omar about the etiquette of wearing a tiara.
A £46,000 convertible Edwardian diamond tiara
‘Unmarried ladies would never wear a tiara. The first time would be on their wedding day, on which their own family tiara would be worn as a way to say goodbye to the family, then from then on they’d wear their husband’s family tiara.’
However, there was one royal exception to the rule. ‘Princess Diana still wore the Spencer tiara, even when she was married,’ Omar points out.
He is too discreet to reveal who has been spotted in a Bentley & Skinner tiara, but admits there is someone he would love to see wearing one.
‘The Duchess of Cambridge. But the Royal Family has the largest private tiara collection in the world, so if you have that many, why bother having one made?’ he laughs.
Bentley & Skinner, as well as having a range of vintage tiaras, can make one from scratch for clients in their on-site workshop. It will be ready to wear in six months to a year.
‘The all-important consideration is the price. Then we’d sit with you to find out what it is that you want in your tiara. Do you want it to be hardframed or convertible? And do you have any favourite stones?
‘The height is also important. If you have a long face, for example, then we avoid height because it makes the face seem longer. It’s these things that need to be taken into consideration, then we’d put some designs together. It takes time, so if you are expecting to wear one next week, we suggest using one that we already have available.’
It’s the choice of stones that largely determines the length of time a commission will take. ‘A diamond might look the same to a layman but you find they don’t all have the same colour and clarity. The Damien Hirst diamond skull, for instance, took us two years to make because of the sourcing of the stones.’
Omar tells me that sourcing stones takes much longer with vintage ones because the cuts can vary. ‘With modern brilliant cuts we don’t have a problem, but if you insisted on having something that was old cut and you wanted vintage stones, it would take a long time. We’ve been working on a tiara now for about three years, collecting stones over a period of time.’
I don’t get to see the tiara in question, but drawings of it leave no doubt in my mind that it will be stunning.
Clockwise from top left: Now it’s a necklace – convertible tiara made with natural pearls and diamonds. The company’s shop in London’s Piccadilly is a treasure trove of all that glitters. 6
‘It’s not for everybody, it’s purely a vanity thing, so we can show that our workshop can make these things. We’ve made a couple of pieces of jewellery using vintage stones and even the experts can be fooled sometimes.’
Having tried on every tiara I could lay my hands on, including the one that Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary wore when she married Matthew Crawley (costing a cool £125,000, or just £1,200 to hire by the day), I can’t deny that I’ve had the best fun ever. But what gives Omar job satisfaction?
‘Ninety-five per cent of the time my job is about celebration,’ he smiles.
So there you have it, we all need a tiara in our lives!
‘It makes you feel special, you hold yourself differently. I think it’s every girl’s dream to wear a tiara.’
Bentley & Skinner: 55 Piccadilly, London W1: 020-7629 0651, www.bentley-skinner.co.uk
Established in 1880, Skinner & Co, now Bentley & Skinner, has supplied jewellery to the Royal Family since the latter years of Queen Victoria’s reign. A true British institution, there seems no better place to learn about tiaras – and of course try some on! Omar Vaja, who has been with the company since 1993, tells me a bit about the history of the tiara.
‘Once upon a time the nobility used to wear just a simple cloth headband, showing that they were noble,’ he says. ‘Later on the pieces became a bit more ornate, including the use of laurel leaves, which were always associated with aristocrats, nobility and rulers.’
Today, the tiara as we know it is an option for anyone. ‘With new-found wealth coming out of industry, especially in America, the new socialite took over. Regardless of whether you were titled or not, as long as you had money you would have a tiara and you threw tiara balls. There used to be very strict rules about tiaras but today those rules have eased.’
From left: Our own Lady Melonie models the Downton tiara. Omar modelling his favourite tiaraLooking around the shop in London’s Piccadilly, it’s awash with beautiful things that sparkle and shine. I ask if certain grand occasions required a tiara adorned with specific jewels.
‘No,’ says Omar, ‘basically you wore what you had and important families always had more than one tiara.’
Then he shares with me his idea of tiara perfection. ‘My favourite combination is pearl and diamond because I think that together these are just so feminine and very gracious.’
With so much of the family fortune being sunk into a piece of resplendent headgear, people learnt how to make the most of the product, especially the Victorians.
‘The Victorians were very clever in the sense that they knew if they were putting all this wealth into a tiara, they would try to make it work for them. They made them convertible so they could be broken down into several brooches or a necklace, so one piece of jewellery could be adapted for many occasions.’
For ladies wanting to wear a tiara when they get married, there is a lot to think about when it comes to choosing the right one. ‘Most brides would love to wear a tiara on their wedding day but you have to be careful what sort you choose,’ says Omar. ‘A tiara is just part of the adornment. The bride is what matters, not the accessories, so it shouldn’t overshadow the bride’s personality.
‘The shape of the face is important when choosing, and it helps to get advice from a professional hairdresser because it’s not easy to wear a tiara; it needs to be fitted in a certain way. In the 1700s and 1800s ladies didn’t have clean hair, but the dirtier the hair, the better things grip. This is why I think you will find most hairdressers will actually advise not to wash the hair on the day, so it’s easier to style.’
Other than weddings, when else is it acceptable to wear a tiara? ‘There are occasions for which tiaras are still required, such as the State Opening of Parliament; normally they are evening attire, but that’s the one time during the day tiaras can be worn. The Lord Mayor’s Banquet, diplomatic balls at Buckingham Palace, tiaras are worn on any state occasion.’
Casting my eye over gorgeous examples costing from £25,000 to £125,000, I finally get the chance to have my princess moment and try some on. Standing in front of the mirror, wondering if I could get away with this look for work, I ask Omar about the etiquette of wearing a tiara.
A £46,000 convertible Edwardian diamond tiara‘Unmarried ladies would never wear a tiara. The first time would be on their wedding day, on which their own family tiara would be worn as a way to say goodbye to the family, then from then on they’d wear their husband’s family tiara.’
However, there was one royal exception to the rule. ‘Princess Diana still wore the Spencer tiara, even when she was married,’ Omar points out.
He is too discreet to reveal who has been spotted in a Bentley & Skinner tiara, but admits there is someone he would love to see wearing one.
‘The Duchess of Cambridge. But the Royal Family has the largest private tiara collection in the world, so if you have that many, why bother having one made?’ he laughs.
Bentley & Skinner, as well as having a range of vintage tiaras, can make one from scratch for clients in their on-site workshop. It will be ready to wear in six months to a year.
‘The all-important consideration is the price. Then we’d sit with you to find out what it is that you want in your tiara. Do you want it to be hardframed or convertible? And do you have any favourite stones?
‘The height is also important. If you have a long face, for example, then we avoid height because it makes the face seem longer. It’s these things that need to be taken into consideration, then we’d put some designs together. It takes time, so if you are expecting to wear one next week, we suggest using one that we already have available.’
It’s the choice of stones that largely determines the length of time a commission will take. ‘A diamond might look the same to a layman but you find they don’t all have the same colour and clarity. The Damien Hirst diamond skull, for instance, took us two years to make because of the sourcing of the stones.’
Omar tells me that sourcing stones takes much longer with vintage ones because the cuts can vary. ‘With modern brilliant cuts we don’t have a problem, but if you insisted on having something that was old cut and you wanted vintage stones, it would take a long time. We’ve been working on a tiara now for about three years, collecting stones over a period of time.’
I don’t get to see the tiara in question, but drawings of it leave no doubt in my mind that it will be stunning.
Clockwise from top left: Now it’s a necklace – convertible tiara made with natural pearls and diamonds. The company’s shop in London’s Piccadilly is a treasure trove of all that glitters. 6 ‘It’s not for everybody, it’s purely a vanity thing, so we can show that our workshop can make these things. We’ve made a couple of pieces of jewellery using vintage stones and even the experts can be fooled sometimes.’
Having tried on every tiara I could lay my hands on, including the one that Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary wore when she married Matthew Crawley (costing a cool £125,000, or just £1,200 to hire by the day), I can’t deny that I’ve had the best fun ever. But what gives Omar job satisfaction?
‘Ninety-five per cent of the time my job is about celebration,’ he smiles.
So there you have it, we all need a tiara in our lives!
‘It makes you feel special, you hold yourself differently. I think it’s every girl’s dream to wear a tiara.’
Bentley & Skinner: 55 Piccadilly, London W1: 020-7629 0651, www.bentley-skinner.co.uk