Van Cleef & Arpels has been the official supplier to the Principality of Monaco since 1956. It came as no surprise when Prince Albert commissioned the Parisian jeweller to create a necklace that can be worn as a tiara as a wedding gift for his bride, then Charlene Wittstock.
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| Van Cleef & Arpels |
In honour of her background as an Olympic swimmer, the diamond and sapphire piece is composed of 1,200 gemstones crafted into circular elements evoking the sea. Prince Albert appropriately chose the name 'Ocean' for the sparkling piece.
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| Van Cleef & Arpels |
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| Van Cleef & Arpels |
More on the composition from Van Cleef & Arpels:
'Ripples shimmer on a ribbon of white gold and round-cut diamonds.
The frothy lace of diamonds sparkles with the water’s reflections and diffuses into fabulous asymmetrical circles. The waters of the sea, made of blue sapphires, carry 11 pear-cut diamonds in their gentle swell. Océan, the necklace, transforms into a royal tiara.
883 round-cut diamonds, weighing a total of over 44 carats. 10 pear-cut diamonds, weighing a total of over 4 carats. A 4.01 carat pear-cut diamond. 359 round-cut sapphires for over a total of 18 carats, in a colour gradation of 3 hues.'
The jeweller described the piece as a "pledge of love, offered by the prince to his princess. Ocean exalts the grace and elegance of the bride". In the fascinating video below, you will see the creative process and meticulous work applied to designing such a timeless piece of jewellery. An immense amount of planning and consideration went into ensuring it was very much a piece that represented Charlene and her love of the ocean.
We first saw Charlene wear the Ocean tiara as a necklace at the Red Cross Ball in 2011.
It looked simply stunning and Charlene allowed the piece to take centre stage while wearing a simple no-frills, strapless gown and an elegant updo.
It truly is a spectacular piece.
We first saw Charlene wear the piece as a tiara for an exclusive interview with Hola! and it was instantly evident how well it suited her. Charlene's style tends to be minimalistic with regard to her clothing, jewellery, and hairstyle choices. The tiara provided a 'Wow' factor for the shoot.
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| Hola! |
Another look from the shoot.
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| Hola! |
Charlene didn't wear the tiara during the wedding festivities because she loaned it to the Oceanographic museum. In fact, it's been part of several exhibits since. Below we see Her Serene Highness posing beside the tiara at a Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition launch in Paris in September 2012.
You'll notice the drop earrings Charlene wore for the exhibition appear to be part of a set with the tiara containing the same diamond and sapphire circle.
I'm enormously surprised by how seldom Charlene has opted to wear the necklace-tiara. There have been many functions in the years when it would have been a perfect choice for the occasion. Charlene has an astounding collection of jewels, though pieces debuted around the time of her wedding remain truly unique.
With many thanks to commenter Trickymum, it turns out Charlene wore the piece for a 2020 fundraising dinner in Tbilisi. Click here to see photos.
Love this Tiara, hope she'll be in Sweden in September and wears this Tiara for the 50st Anniversary. of King Carl Gustav XVI css
ReplyDeleteA truly unique and gorgeous convertible tiara and earrings. They are just perfect for her. I hope to see them again soon. My heart goes out to this incredible woman who has struggled so much over the past few years. Here's hoping we will see that beautiful sparkle return to her eyes!
ReplyDeleteyes it is gorgeous but i don't feel she is a happy woman can't be easy being married to a man like that
ReplyDeleteI think the last time Charlene wore the tiara was in November 2020 in Tbilisi, when she was photographed at a fundraising event there with Prince and Princess Bagration.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Trickymum. I've never seen the photos before.
DeleteAgain, a simple tuxedo suit made fabulous by the jewels.
DeleteFor a modern tiara it's stunning. A work of art. She wears it very well with short hair. It looks amazing worn as a necklace,so I can't decide which I prefer. Speaking of necklace's. The diamond and pearl necklace she wears is just wow. Very obvious the best diamond's money can buy. It's a bit sad looking at the older picture's of The Princess, it's like she has lost her light and confidence. She comes across as such a nice Lady. Hopefully she will find the strength she had again soon. S.🙂.
ReplyDeleteyes it is hard to decide it is so beautiful on the neck and the crown.
DeleteThe work and design of a very good jeweler. S.🙂.
DeleteI generally have the impression that Charlene doesn't like big blingy jewelry. If memory serves, she was at at least one Swedish royal wedding without a tiara, when tiaras were the dress code (for people with access to them, like the Princess). I can't actually remember the last time I saw her in a tiara (as a tiara).
ReplyDeleteHave to agree even though she would wear it very well. She's a modern stylish Princess. I think she likes to keep her look simple but sleek. S.🙂.
DeleteI can't bring myself to like this tiara. The mix between the triangular band at the base and the the circles don't go together well. The circles also don't flow into each other nicely, as you would expect from a water theme. They are hard to style. Similar to the Buttons in Sweden.
ReplyDeleteThe tiara looks over-designed with this big focus on meaningful elements. There is too much concept and less beauty. It doesn't work well worn as a headband style, neither can it be worn like a crown- the triangular band makes it impossibe, but that might be the only way to make the circles work. Her modern look and the shorter hair also don't work well with either. Headband and Crown style. It is a shame, because I think a Princess of Monaco should nost definitely have acces to a beautiful, glittery, flattering tiara. The "Diamond Foam", while small and made with as exquisite materials suits her look much better. Here, concept and look go together nicely. But she deserves a bigger piece that really really flatters her.
C.
if you didn't see princess beatrice and eugenie looked beautiful at the vogue london show i love beatrice's dress https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/princess-beatrice-eugenie-vogue-world-london-2023
ReplyDeleteA fabulous piece, your close-up photos help me like it much more than I used to. A shame not to see it worn more often
DeleteI was enjoying this blog and visited it daily. I hope it will continue.
ReplyDelete