Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (Jewellery worn by the Shahbahnou of Perlistan)

We have seen more and more of the pretender Shahbahnou of Perlistan and a few weekends ago we saw her wearing one of the spectacular parts of the Crown Kewels of Perlistan for an official photo representing her country and people's historic heritage. For this reason we wanted to feature the jewellery worn by Her Imperial Highness Shahnaz Farah Diba the Shahbahnou of Perlistan.

Here we can see one of the photos from the aforementioned photoshoot where the Shahbahnou wore the Empress Crown from the Imperial Perlistani Crown Jewel Collection.

Set in solid gold with large top quality sapphires and emeralds the Empress Crown dates back a mere half a century. The reason being that in Perlistani traditional culture women had no public authority and where kept (culturally not physically) within domestic confines. As such the monarchy and Shah had no role for a consort seen in public. However, the old traditions made way for women to be allowed more public freedoms and thus the wife of the Shah gained a title, Shahbahnou and a crown in her role as consort.

The Crown Emerald Parure of Perlistan is a matching set of platinum, gold, yellow diamond and emerald jewellery made for the wife of the last Shah to wear at their coronation in the late 70's. It is part of the Crown Jewels and has been worn very rarely by the current head of the Imperial claim to the Peacock Throne. 

This detail photo was taken for the Imperial Archive of Perlistan and shows the Crown Emeralds up close. 

Amethysts are very common in the Middle East and thus the Perlistani Imperial Jewels include among its ranks some of the largest and best quality specimens. This can be seen in the set of diamonds and amethyst made brand new for the first Shahbahnou, our current pretender's grandmother.

The Amethyst Parure has no earrings but does include two very large stones of extremely high quality. 

The current Shahbahnou's mother was a fortunate woman. She was the second ever to have a public role and for this reason received as a sequence of many jewellery gifts. This spectaculary valuable parure is made up from pink and yellow diamonds of very high quality and as such ranks it as one of the most valuable sets on earth. 

Here we can see the coloured diamonds in detail. Their quality belie the wealth of the Pahlavi Dynasty who had access to the Perlistani mines. 

In this photo, taken at the 2012 Christmas Ball in Arcwhite, Farah Diba made her first major public appearance as Shahbahnou in pretense. For the historical event she chose a spectacular tiara set with one of the world's largest diamonds and ruby earrings and necklace to compliment her dress.

The Perlistan Rubies and most of the Pahlavi Jewellery Collection survived the fall of the Imperial House of Perlistan. Some jewels remained in Perlistan as part of the National Treasure exhibited in the country's capital. Others like this set left with the Imperial family in exile. The rubies like the greatest part of the collection, was made for the current Shahbahnou's mother.

An ancient legend tells of how the great warrior Emperor Shah Ahurah killed a dragon in the year 989 and discovered a huge diamond in its belly. As the red hot stone cooled it was said to break into 4 parts that ended up being known to history as the Perlistan Diamonds. Today, three of those stones the Perlistan II, III and IV, weighing 65cts, 34cts and 31cts are set in the Pahlavi Tiara made for the last Shah's wife.

This set of antique jewellery is reputed to come from a hoard of jewels taken as spoil from a Hindi Maharaja in the early 1800's. They have languished in Perlistani government vaults until our current pretender chose to wear them in this modern era. It creates a very strong sense of historic continuity and reiterates the Shahbahnou's new official role as custodian of Perlistani Royal history.

The Imperial Red Peacock Parure is an official set of Rubies that remain as part of the Crown Jewels of Perlistan. They are on permanent display, and as from 2013, are available for the Shahbanou in pretense to wear with permission from the democratic government of Perlistan at official events representing her country. 

The Crown Collection of Perlistan includes, almost as if required, a demi parure of sapphires. It has been worn for the first time this year for the official visit of the Shahbahnou to Hanoveria. 

The necklace design of the Sapphire Demi Parure is very traditionally Perlistani in design, where the tiara tips its hat to its Middle Eastern heritage while also hinting strongly at a Europan look. When not worn, this set may be viewed as part of the Crown Jewel Display in Perlistan. 

Farah Diba inherited many business interests and some jewellery in her own right directly from her parents. Among this was a collection of unset diamonds which set has had made up in 2013 as a very distinctly Perlistani style necklace of spectacular proportions. We saw the necklace for the first time this year when the Shahbahnou visited the Queen of Hispania on an official tour.

The last part of the jewels we have seen Farah wear is this fringe necklace. It is reputed to have been a gift from a "friend" and as such would be her personal property. If more information comes to light we will be sure to share it here on the blog. 

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (Princess Augusta Sells Tiaras)

Her Imperial Highness, Princess Augusta of Scot-Britania has released a short press statement concerning rumours of her selling Imperial treasures. She did so exclusively to this blog as she is quoted as trusting it "...as the most authentic media source on Royalty in the world". The Princess has admitted to selling two parures of famous jewellery in private sales towards the end of 2014. However she was the legal owner in her private capacity and both sets' Royal provenance was not directly linked to the Imperial House of Aldarian. The Princess, as a world renowned art and antique jewellery dealer also stated that she often acquires pieces for their investment value with the intent on selling later at an opportune time. Her wearing of said jewellery in public does not make it the property or the historic heritage of the the Imperial Family. The Princess does act as custodian of many such Imperial pieces and would never dream of selling them on the open market. 

The first set Princess Augusta admitted she sold is the Bunting Emerald Parure. She acquired it in the United States in the late 90's from the exiled family of the last Baron Bunting and now with appreciated value sold it in a private sale to a buyer who's identity must legally remain confidential. 

The Princess wore the emeralds on several occasions to dazzling effect. She said that the right buyer came at the right time and thus we may never see her wearing emeralds again. We may of course keep on the lookout for the set as it may or may not have ended up in one of our other famous Royals' coffers. 

The spectacular Drop Sapphire Parure came to Princess Augusta from a collector who reputedly bought it from one of the fleeing Ruskian Noble Families after the Great War. The collector and the family who sold it still remains legally confidential but Princess Augusta being privy to the knowledge admitted to selling it back to its rightful owners when the opportunity arose. 

In this photo we see her wearing the sapphire which was apparently one of her favourites and very difficult to sells for that reason. However conviction and eventually profit got the better of her and the set returned "home". We look forward to seeing who ends up being the ellusive Ruskian Noble Family as a descendant wears it for the first time in almost a century. 

Fascinating Fridays (Jewellery Terminology; the Brooch)

Today is a continuance from a couple of posts from very long ago. We featured the technical terminology used to describe various items of jewellery covering the categories of jewellery for the neck and jewellery for the head. Today we will dicuss the category most commonly referred to as the "brooch". There isn't a vast array to discuss but some interest may arrise from one very rare term used. 

Let us begin today's lecture with the most well known term, the Brooch.

In the photo above we see the Duchess of Roswind wearing what may be considered as three separate pins on her dress. However only one is strictly speaking a brooch. A brooch is a decorative piece of jewellery designed for its beauty and in adherence to fashions of the day or the client's unique style requirements. It may have sentimental symbolism included but does not carry any official significance as such. The Duchess of Roswind wears the ruby brooch from her own personal jewellery collection.

Here we see the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna wearing a ruby brooch on her right shoulder. It is purely decorative and compliments her earrings perfectly.

Sometimes a brooch may be worn on the shoulder or the center of the bodice or on a lapel but it may also be worn on a hat. One does however get pins that are designed exclusively for the use on hats and they tend to have a far longer pin. these are referred to as hatpins. In the photo above, Empress Crystobel wears the Imperial Crown Brooch on her hat.

Next we will discuss the term Stomacher.

The term "stomacher"is a rare term used for a rarely seen type of pin/brooch. These are normally of abnormally large size or may consist of more than one element. Two hundred years they were an integral part of Royal Fashion but over the years the style waned and is now rarely seen. Another aspect of the stomacher can be derived from its name, they were specifically designed to be worn  across the front of the bodice continuing down to the waist. In the photo above showing the wedding of Empress Crystobel, we see a large ruby stomacher element pinned to the bride's dress. It was altered into a necklace soon after its use at the wedding.

Sometimes a large brooch, not strictly designed as a stomacher, may be worn as one like the emerald brooch worn as such by Princess Odeliah in the photo above.

A normal brooch may also be worn as a stomacher like this one featured in the first photo on this post now worn in this photo in just that way.

Finally let us discus the Badge

Badges is a broad category of pins that also includes anything from medals to name tags. However, in the world of Royalty there is a particular badge of significant meaning, that used as a designation of Knighthood. In the photo above we see the Badge of the Order of the Diamond Star blazing upon the red sash of the same Order of Chivalry.

Badges in this realm are more than just a tag, they are imbued with history and honour and are backed by centuries of tradition. These badges are also made from precious metal and stones. In this photo we can see the three sided badge of the Hispanian Order of the Triad.

That concludes our quick lesson on jewellery terminology. Hope it broadened your vocabulary.

Breaking News (Serbieski Power Plant Bombers Apprehended)

Shocking revelations have come to the fore and are going viral as we speak around the globe. The confessions of Frantisek Voorheest to the Mithrandir just before his execution a week ago has led to the arrest of the bombers of the Arc International Power Station in Serbieski. The bombing that took place in March 2013 caused severe tensions in the politically precarious region on the Wallachian border of Syldavia. Political dissidents have plagues that region and indeed the Syldavian stability since the 1997 Syldavian civil war that resulted from the Bloody Revolution in Scot-Britania. Intense investigations into the bombing brought forth very little evidence but suspicions have now been confirmed by Mr. Voorheest's confession.  

The Arc International Power Plant is a constant controversy in its own right as it has brought much needed power and infrastructure to an impoverished region of Serbieski. However its impact on the surrounding natural environment and its groundbreaking technology still raises many serious concerns. 

The bombing was at first believed to have been motivated by fanatic environmentalist but was soon proven to rather be motivated by political dissidents with strong anti-monarchist agendas. Serbieski has a very deeply ingrained nationalist history and its mediatized inclusion in the greater Syldavia remains difficult to this day. The return in Septemeber this year of the Serbieski Crown Jewels however has placated the region's proud people.

Frantisek Voorheest, the executed assassin that killed Empress Crystobel in 2013 on her official visit to Britania admitted to the Mithrandir minutes before his beheading that he was part of an underground political move bent on eradicating all form of monarchy in Europa. He shared information about the bombing in Serbieski that only an insider could know adding lost puzzle pieces to the investigation.

This information has lead to the arrest of a several people linked to the bombing and proves that it was financed by the theft of the Duke of Swann's emeralds as was also suspected. There statements also now add even more evidence to the mix. A golden thread can now be drawn from the theft of the emeralds to the bombing and assassination of the Empress. This has obviously also led to a few new questions and implicates a few new suspects. However much of this is still classified as it seems more has been uncovered than the authorities could have imagined and if links to the 1996 Revolution are implied then this has international repercussions on the level of war.

Wonderful Weekend (Official Portraits of the Baron and Baroness D'Rothchild)

The famous and very wealthy Baron  and Baroness D'Rothchild bear their title of Baron in the Nobility of more than one country. As Barons in the former and now very popular Empire of Scot-Britania they too have decided to also release fashionable official portraits along with all the other Nobility.

Here we see the very stylish Baroness D'Rothchild wearing the Lesser D'Pont Du Lac Emerald Parure that passed hands back into the D'Rothchild coffers after being the property of Empress Crystobel for almost two decades. 

The Baron D'Rothchild definitely looks the part with Coronet of Rank in the background and Chain of Office upon his shoulders. He also proudly wears his Badge and Sash of the Ruskian Order of the Polar Star.

The dignified couple couple strike an impressive pose in the foyer of the D'Rothchild hotel in Pariseum.

A close up of the D'Pont Du Lac Emeralds for the history books.

The Baron and Baroness spared no expense in dressing up and creating this series of photographs.  The photos have been made them available on the internet to the joy of monarchists, jewellery fanatics and history buffs alike.

We hope our fans also appreciate these now very fashionable official photos of Nobility and expect the fashion to spread beyond the Nobility of the former Empire of Scot-Britania. 

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (The Greatest Emerald Jewellery Sets)

Seeing as chances are all but zero that we will ever see them at one event, let us group together all the emerald sets in order to compare them and enjoy them in a single post. In our last installment we did sapphires and following this post we will also do the greatest ruby sets in the world. We begin today with the grandest set of Emeralds in the world. The complete set actually consists of two separate parures, the Greater and Lesser sets. Here follows their story and the complete list of other amazing emerald sets. 

Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess Imperial of the United Empire of Scot-Britania wears the spectacular Greater D'Pont du Lac Emeralds. 

Originally made in the late 19^th century for the Franconian Princess Helene, Duchesse du Saint Denis, the parure passed upon her unexpected death to her brother who was the pretender to the Franconian throne. It came down the Francian Royal line until it reached the coffers of Her Highness Princess Anne-Marie D’Pont du Lac.

 In 1993 Princess Anne-Marie decided to sell two sets of the D’Pont du Lac treasures to raise funds for her sickly brother’s medical requirements and to curtail some back taxes on his waning estate. This she did without consulting her son, the 13th Baron, as she did not want to burden him with his uncle’s problems.

The auction of the famous emeralds along with another sapphire parure took place in the city of Londinium. At the last minute the Baron d’Rothchild managed to pull the famous sapphires from the sale but the emeralds came up for bidding. He tried desperately to buy them back but was outbid at the very end by the new Empress Crystobel I of the United Empire of Scot Britania herself. The Empress was considered the wealthiest women in the world and along with her mother, the deceased Queen of Scotney, were well known to be very dedicated collectors of jewellery and art. Nothing would block her if she put her mind on buying anything as she considered herself a custodian for posterity. The set ended up with the Empress's son, the Crown Prince Imperial. 

The original parure’s necklace and tiara were reset and slightly modernised but  retain the original “design” however without the upstanding drop pearls and the smaller emeralds. It is referred to as the "Greater D'Pont Du Lac Emeralds". Today it is worn by Princess Odeliah, the Crown Princess Imperial. 

The late Empress Crystobel is seen here wearing the Lesser D'Pont du Lac Emeralds. 

A slightly less imposing emerald parure called the "Lesser D'Pont Du Lac Emeralds" was created from scratch using the remaining smaller emeralds from the original D'Pont du Lac Parure. It was made for Empress Crystobel as a gift of thanks to her from her son. 

The auction following the passing of Empress Crystobel in 2013 saw four sets of jewels leave the collection to raise liquid cash against the estate taxes of the Empress. One of them was the Lesser D'Pont Du Lac Emerald Parure. Especially for our blog the Baron gave us special permission to reveal that he was the anonymous buyer of the Lesser D'Pont Du Lac Emeralds from the Empress Crystobel's collection. This "tour-de-force" purchase was karma at its best as the patient Baron has waited to redeem his family's former treasures from the willful sales of his mother.

H.I.H. Princess Augusta also sports an Emerald parure of her own. 

Princess Augusta officially attends many events requiring her to wear a tiara. As such she has served her need for some variety by acquiring several coloured stone jewellery sets like these emeralds.  After the revolution, those nobles who weren't killed were often completely dispossessed. Some had to sell their jewels to survive and Princess Augusta helped many of them through her international jewellery business to gain good prices. This emerald set used to belong to a Scot-Britanian Baronial Family and ended up being kept by the Princess as a personal acquisition. The set is dated to the late 1800's and was made for the 10th Baroness Bunting. The last Baron Bunting was killed during the revolution but his wife and daughter escaped to Americania where they sold the parure to Princess Augusta.

The sister of the late Empress Crystobel, Princess Beatrice of Hanoveria owns a spectacularly large Emerald Tiara. 

The Hanoverian Emerald Tiara was made especially for Princess Beatrice as a wedding present from her husband who is said to love the colour and enjoyed the prospect of seeing his wife wearing it.

H.R.H. Infanta Isabella of Hispania has been the most frequent wearer of the Hispanian Crown Emeralds. 

The Hispanian Emeralds belong to the Crown of Hispania and as such cannot be sold but is kept as a national treasure and used by the Royal family. Old Crown emeralds were re-cut into a more modern square cut in the early 1900's and then set into this parure as part of the Hispanian Crown Jewels. The rules for this tiara is that only the wife or daughters of a Hispanian Monarch may wear them. As such it is often worn by Infanta Isabella or her mother the Dowager Princess Cataljone. We have yet to see Queen Maria or her daughter wear them.

Her Majesty Queen Maxima of Syldavia.

The set is not modern and we speculate its age by virtue of its design to be at least late 19th Century. The rather large pear cut emeralds are set in a tiara and earrings that match in an Imperial Ruskian style. The office of King Nikolas III has confirmed that the set was given to Queen Maxima by her family as a personal gift celebrating the Syldavian Restoration. The King's office added that the set seen at the Knights Meeting was completed as an additional purchase by the King, of a necklace. Thus for future reference we have decided to name this the Hanoverian Gift Parure.

 It is clear from the design of the necklace that it is not part of the original set. The styles are at least of a similar era and as such do match when worn together. The origin of the set remains unknown. Considering Queen Maxima's Family connections through her grandmother's Ruskian origins one could speculate that the tiara's Ruskian style might belie it coming from a distant cousin through purchase or inheritance. The gift however remains poignant in that the green emeralds compliment the national colours of  Syldavia. The story of this tiara and its sudden appearance on the public stage shows that one never knows what lays hidden in the Royal vaults. For generations one can attempt to catalogue a collection, thinking you know its entirety and then a sudden surprise makes you wonder in amazement.

The Arch Duchess of Fulco D'Este wears her brother, the Duke of Swann's Emeralds.

The Swann Collection included a vast set of emeralds. The demi-parure of earrings and necklace. made from indigenous Syldavian emeralds was already part of the Swann Collection when Princess Elizabeth married the current Duke's father. They were originally a gift of friendship from the then King of Syldavia. For her first wedding anniversary, Princess Elizabeth's parents gave her a matching tiara and now the set is known as the Scot-Syldavian Emerald Parure. This spectacular set however was stolen in 2013 by Syldavian terrorists. Only a fraction of the set was recovered in broken pieces and what we see here is what remains today. 

The Shahbanou of Perlistan wears the Perlistani Crown Parure. 

The Imperial Perlistani Parure was made especially for the last Shahbanou to wear to her husband's coronation. It is set with high quality emeralds and yellow diamonds. They were recently lent to the pretender to the Imperial Throne of Perlistan for a photo shoot commemorating the exile of the Imperial Family being lifted and to boost awareness of the national history of Perlistan. 

Her Serene Highness the Princess of Wallachia. 

The Syldavian Emerald and Platinum Parure from the Wallachian Royal Collection was a gift from the Kingdom of Syldavia to the current Princess's grandmother Princess Elizabeta upon her marriage. It is not often worn by Princess Xenia,. but when we do see it, the effect is very dramatic. 

The Duchess of Lancaster. 

The current Duchess of Lancaster was orphaned during the 96 Revolution. It was by pure chance that her heritage was returned to her as she did not know anything of her origins. Upon receiving the title she also came into some historic jewels amongst which was this set of Art Deco Emeralds. The set dates from the 1920's and as such was made for the then holder of the title. The set also includes a bracelet not pictured above but is shown in the portrait of the Duchess.