Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and Princess Madeleine of Sweden
Yes there are two Aquamarine Bandeaux: one from Luxembourg and one from Sweden. So don’t you dare confuse them!
Yes, I admit that most of the time tiara names are not the most creative monikers but they could’ve at least tried to distinguish between the two. The “Swedish Aquamarine Bandeau” and the “Luxembourgian Aquamarine Bandeau” don’t seem entirely outlandish. (Wow, “Luxembourgian” really is a word. The other option is “Luxembourger” and my husband says that’s too hilarious to use, even if it’s real.)
Let’s talk about the Luxembourg Aquamarine Bandeau first. It’s one of those scrumptious art-deco tiaras, composed of whopping diamonds and aquamarines in a bandeau setting. The Aquamarine Bandeau was made for the late Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte. Apparently, it was a demi-parure with earrings and a sautoir. Funny thing is, the earrings or the necklace alone out-weigh the bandeau. This is the best shot of all three I could find.
That was ALL of the information I could find on the thing…apparently this tiara evokes ire in many denizens of Cyberland. I quote one, “I just wish she’d burn this tiara.” Now that’s a tad radical… I am having difficulty finding a photo of just the tiara or of Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte wearing it. I can not find WHEN it was given to her or who gave it to her or who made it. Do people really hate this tiara this much?
Today the Art Deco Aquamarine Bandeau (how’s that for a name?) is worn much more frequently by Joséphine-Charlotte’s daughter-in-law, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. At least there’s photographic evidence that it exists, even if no further information can be gleaned. (It’s REALLY frustrating…don’t people document things anymore?)
Here’s what we DO know: Margaretha wore the bandeau to the Royal Wedding in Luxembourg this past October (left) and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore it to the Danish Royal Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik in 2004 (right.)
And what of that second, single-stoned Aquamarine Bandeau that Princess Madeleine was wearing? What shall we call that one? Well, the fact is, I was being a pain in the ass the whole time. The Swedish version DOES have another nickname. The aquamarine bandeau is more playfully known as “the Cyclops.”
history buff, jewelry whore, chatterbox, mets fan
tiaras and trianon 
I like aquamarine 🙂
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then you’re gonna love it here…there are so many Aquamarine numbers out there. I think they had a super-trendy coupla decades
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Yay! 😀
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how do you feel about the ruby theme We’ve been rocking lately? Not as alluring as aquamarines?
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Ruby is actually my birth stone so it’s nice to see what I could possibly wear one day. LOL 😛 Did you do emeralds already?
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I’ve done some emerald tiaras…I have to go back and check which ones. I don’t usually go by a specific theme. Every time I’ve done a theme week I’m going crazy by day five. Attack of the Brooches week was a doozy.
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I tried doing a theme once – a Once Upon A Time theme – but it just about failed and I could come up with only 3 posts. 😛
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Repetition gets old…especially when you don’t HAVE to do it. You know?
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Indeed. 🙂
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I think the formal term is “permanent procrastination!”
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Something I excel at! 😉
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i actually like that Luxembourg one lol wonder why people hate it so much?
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I don’t know why, maybe they’re comparing it to some of the other Luxembourg tiaras? Some people have strange reactions to the next tiara too…
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There’s a pic of GD Josephine Charlotte wearing the tiara here: http://tiara-mania.blogspot.com/2013/11/aquamarine-bandeau.html
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Sweet! Now I can add it to the photo collection!
Merci buckets! Please come by more often!
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looking good–tanned and in aquamarine–
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