Princess for a day, exactly what a tiara allows one to be. 

    Tiaras (also called diadems) are traditional at weddings and beauty pageants but more and more with the affordability they're becoming one with everday fashion.  A Tiara can also be called a crown, they can be elaborately made of diamonds, daintily from pearls and diamonds or just to twisted high polished metal.

    Tiaras historically date back to ancient Egypt and were put on royal mummies.  The Greeks awarded tiaras to contest champions (similar to the contemporary pageant) and highly ranked individuals were them to distinguish themselves from the commoners.  But these tiaras were not elaborately decorate with diamonds, pearls and such but instead of laurels and olive leaves and were simple and symmetrical designs.  Ancient tiaras were told to be very heavy from the metals and jewels, in classical times royalty wore bands of cloth on their heads to show nobility.

    Nineteenth century tiaras were the finest tiaras made by English jewelers, this period began the tradition of wedding tiaras.  Across Europe court life flourished and tiaras became a class distinguisher moving across Europe to Russia, Russians became the most extravagant with tiaras made by English and Parisian jewelers for The Grand Duchesses.

    Tiara history endured through World War 1 and to the 1920s but slowly began to die out and has yet to regain it's popularity.  Tiaras are slowly regaining their popularity for weddings but have not moved from the circle of people who can afford to wear gold, diamonds and rubies on their heads to the everyday person.

Famous tiara wearers of our time:  Diana, Princess of Wales, and Grace Kelly


source: Fashion History channel special on Tiaras

Ti*a"ra (?), n. [L., from Gr. , ; of Persian origin.]

1.

A form of headdress worn by the ancient Persians. According to Xenophon, the royal tiara was encircled with a diadem, and was high and erect, while those of the people were flexible, or had rims turned over.

2.

The pope's triple crown. It was at first a round, high cap, but was afterward encompassed with a crown, subsequently with a second, and finally with a third. Fig.: The papal dignity.

 

© Webster 1913.

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