HM Queen Juliana of the Netherlands’ Aquamarine Tiara and Parure
Here worn by HRH Princess Máxima of the Netherlands
The Dutch Royal House has a beautiful collection of aquamarines, which have been collected since the 1920’s. Many of the pieces have great sentiment attached to them, and have been worn by many of the ladies of the Dutch Royal House. Queen Juliana’s Aquamarine Parure was purchased by one of the House of Orange-Nassau Foundations, so it belongs to the Foundation and cannot be split up among any heirs (important given the equal inheritance rules in Dutch law). This ensures it remains available to the Royal House to wear.
In 1927 as an eighteenth birthday present Princess Juliana received from her parents Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry an art deco style tiara of Brazilian aquamarines and diamonds set in platinum, from the Dutch jeweler Kempen, Begeer & Vos.The base of the tiara is a geometric assortment of square-cut aquamarines, topped with seven briolette aquamarines.
Princess Juliana received from her grandmother the Dowager Queen Emma, an aquamarine and diamond demi-parure. It’s an Edwardian/Belle Époque style demi-parure of a necklace, made by Burnier in The Hague. The long necklace (a sautoir) consists of one rectangular aquamarine, and six square aquamarines. The sautoir can be shortened and worn as a bracelet.
In 1937 Queen Juliana received a wedding present from her husband Prince Bernhard of a long necklace with a large pear-shaped aquamarine pendant.
Queen Juliana also received a wedding gift from her mother-in-law, Queen Armgard, which is a set of briolette aquamarine earrings. These earrings match the briolette aquamarines in the tiara.
Queen Juliana received a brooch from Prince Bernhard as an anniversary gift, a cushion cut aquamarine brooch in platinum, surrounded by smaller aquamarines.
The demi-parure also includes another large rectangular brooch.
After WWII and the Dutch Royal Family’s return to Holland (they spent the war living in Canada and Princess Margriet was born in Ottawa), Queen Juliana started to wear all of the aquamarine pieces together, as a parure. She had previously worn them only as separate pieces. As you can see, Queen Juliana and her three daughters, Princess Beatrix (now Queen Beatrix), Princess Irene, and Princess Margriet, wore the aquamarines in separate pieces, as well as the full tiara and parure, over the years.
It is now only worn as an entire set by by HRH Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, the wife of the heir to the Dutch throne HRH Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, and HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, a younger sister of HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Queen Beatrix and other family members continue to wear parts of the aquamarine parure.
Isn’t it nice that the Dutch Royal Family share tiaras and parures as much as they do – allows us to see more jewelry!!
HRH Princess Margriet
Here’s HRH Princess Máxima
This is the third in our series of aquamarine tiaras for March – the first was Queen Elizabeth’s Brazilian Aquamarine and Diamond Parure and the Boucheron Diamond Clips and the second was The Aquamarine Pine Flower Tiara.
Stay tuned for a post on an Aquamarine Tiara from Sweden – the Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara of Sweden!
Categories: Parures, Royal Family of the Netherlands, Royal Jewels, Tiaras
The Royal Post 
Hello Royal Posters. I have a question about the Queen’s wardrobe. What does she do with all of her hats, handbags and such. Thank you. Love the jewels. I know they go in museums and the Queen must have 1000s of hats – what happens to them? Warmest, Molly
I really love this aquamarine parure – especially the intricate linkages with the flower petals on the sautoir necklace! Such a unique take on a tiara – I wasn’t sure if I liked it the first time I saw it (it seemed a bit too spike-y), but it’s definitely grown on me. I think it is especially striking next to Máx’s blonde hair – nicely worn Máxima!