The History of Tiaras
Based on legend, it had been Greek god Dionysus who invented the top ornament known as the diadem. The term ‘diadem’ comes from the Greek ‘diadein’, which means to bind around. The earlier Diadems were made from bound goliage and flowers. After Alexander the truly amazing reached the main gold-supplying parts of the Persian Empire in 331 BC, Greek craftsmen were quick to exploit its malleability and transform head-dresses of just living flowers into ever-lasting garlands fashioned from gleaming precious metal.
Several types of head ornament were made in Ancient Greece, however the diadems mostly took are bands with pediments. They were assimilated into Russian folk costume, but became a popular model for Western European tiara design in the 19th and 20th centuries. The world ‘tiara’ is descends from Persian, which denoted the high-peaked head-dresses of Persian kings. It is now used to describe nearly every form of decorative head ornament.
Although there are accounts of special occasions on which men wore necklaces and gold wreaths, jewellery was more usually worn by women. In time, gold wreaths and diadems became reserved for more ambitious and showy occasions, and also the tiara’s association with privilege and ostentation continues to prevail. Read more…