Golden flowers for a queen - the unusual tiara belonging to Margrethe of Denmark
The birthstones of August, peridot and spinel, are rarely used in royal jewellery but that doesn't mean the calendar of regal gems can just take a month off. The long, hot days of summer are perfect for mopping up some of the sparklers that don't fit anywhere else and where better to start than with a metal that is closely associated with royalty but rarely dominates tiaras - gold. And if you want to find a gold tiara where else would you look than in the Danish royal jewellery box. Queen Margrethe never lets us down.
This very unusual tiara is a modern addition to the royal jewel vault of Denmark. The golden diadem, studded with diamonds that have to work hard to be noticed against the deep colour of the metal, was presented to Margrethe II in 2012 by the people of Greenland to mark her 40th anniversary as queen.
It is very modern in design but as its official name suggests, it is based on a very traditional theme for tiaras - flowers. It is part of a set called Naasut which means flowers from Greenland and close up the piles of golden blooms can be seen weaving in and out of one another, all but hiding sparkling diamonds at their centres.
It was designed by Nicolai Appel and made using melted down golden coins which were struck from metal mined in Greenland itself. There is no doubt where this tiara comes from and no doubt that Margrethe holds it in high esteem - one of her biggest appearances every year comes at the New Year Levees and this tiara took pride of place there in 2013 when the Queen of Denmark wore it at this prestigious and prominent event.
The Naasut tiara is very beautiful and the intricacy of its design means that you get something new from it with every look. But there's no doubting that this tiara is made of yellow gold - the colour is so dominant it almost overshadows the subtlety of the flowers that make it up. That aside, this really is a modern take on the traditional tiara and sums up its royal owner's flair and style to perfection. Margrethe really makes her mark in this tiara.
