The tiara, explained
From the wreaths of antiquity to Napoleon’s court and modern royal weddings: where the tiara came from, the styles to know and the rules that still apply.
Jewellery
Tiaras, pearls and signet rings: the pieces that carry a family’s history.
Jewellery is the most personal form of luxury. A tiara marks a wedding, a strand of pearls passes from mother to daughter, a signet ring carries a crest through generations. In this rubric we look at the pieces that appear in royal portraits and family safes alike: where they came from, how they are made and worn, and how to care for them so they last another century.
Pearls, from royal portraits to modern layering
Why pearls became the jewel of queens, how natural and cultured pearls differ, the four main types to know and how to keep a strand beautiful for decades.
Signet rings: heraldry you can wear
Once a working tool for sealing letters, the signet ring is now a quiet emblem of family and identity. How it works, what to engrave and on which finger it goes.
Try it yourself
Ring Size Converter
Convert UK, US, EU and Swiss ring sizes and measure a ring at true size on your screen.
Continue the tour
More rubrics
- WatchesComplications, etiquette and the long road from pocket to wrist.
- CoutureHaute couture, royal wedding dresses and the craft of bespoke tailoring.
- CollectiblesWatches, royal memorabilia and the paper trail that makes objects valuable.
- Luxury BrandsHeritage houses, royal warrants and the codes of quiet luxury.
- Royal FamiliesDynasties, coronations and the jewels that pass between generations.
- AuctionsHow sales work, record results and a calm checklist for bidders.
- ArtRoyal collections, attribution and how to start collecting.
- GemstonesThe 4Cs, the great coloured stones and the largest diamond ever found.
- AteliersGoldsmiths, hallmarks and the watchmaker’s bench.