The Rose Diamond Bandeau

Queen Mary of Denmark has a new tiara! The Danish royal family has the tradition of preserving its history by repurposing old jewelry that is no longer worn into new contemporary pieces, and this is what Queen Mary did when commissioning her new tiara. It joins Denmark's Crown Jewels.

Called the Rose Diamond Bandeau, the new Danish tiara features rose-cut natural diamonds that were once part of a diamond girdle (or belt) owned by Princess Charlotte Amalie of Denmark (1706 - 1782), daughter of Frederick IV. Suffice it to say nobody wears a diamond girdle anymore, but royals still wear tiaras and crowns for coronations, royal weddings, and state banquets. 

Old Diamond Cuts including the Rose and Old Mine Cuts

The effect created by cutting gemstones has changed over time with the advancement of new tools. Rose-cut diamonds are an old style of diamond-cutting by hand that has been replaced by today's brilliant-cut diamonds to enhance a gemstone's sparkle. Unlike brilliant-cut diamonds, rose-cut diamonds lack a pointy bottom pavilion. Instead, they have a flatter bottom and feature a dome crown of only 3 to 24 facets, which is fewer than the brilliant-cut's 57 to 58 facets. A rose-cut diamond is meant to glow under candlelight in lieu of flashing all over the room. Often it is described as a romantic cut of diamond.

The photos I've uploaded here are courtesy of the Royal Danish House and Royal Danish Collection. The above image on the left shows us the original girdle. Here's a link to explain more about the history of the piece and the process of changing it into a tiara if you're interested in knowing the details.

The images of Queen Mary of Denmark show her premiering her new Rose Diamond Bandeau in December 2024 at a State Dinner for Egypt. 

The press has mentioned how the mounting of the Rose Diamond Bandeau is similar to the Dutch Diamond Bandeau, a favorite tiara of Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. The Dutch Diamond Bandeau tiara, once a Queen's necklace, has its own history. As it turns out, its giant diamonds are old mine-cut diamonds in contrast to the Danish tiara's rose-cut diamonds. 

Brilliant, Rose, and Old Mine Cut Diamonds

BTW, a bandeau tiara is defined as a hairpiece comprised of a single row of gemstones. Usually, the bottoms of diamonds are enclosed, not exposed as in other styles of tiaras.

Queen vs Commoner🙂 As an ordinary person who doesn't host or attend state dinners, a bandeau tiara reminds me of a row of diamonds on a tennis bracelet. For sure a single row of big ole diamonds is lovely in all forms of jewelry!

Well done, Queen Mary.😍

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Keeping Up With The Joneses … In Denmark

On a recent show, Oprah visited families around the globe, featuring the lives of women. I'm a sucker for these kinds of programs. The place that appealed to me the most was Copenhagen, Denmark. I like the mindset and lifestyle of its people. Danes are ranked #1 as the happiest in the world by 30 years of scientisfic studies and polls. And if you watched Oprah, you learned why. Here's a summary:

1. In Copenhagen, people are concerned about the environment. – 1/3 of the population rides bicycles everywhere, even with small children and packages in tow.

2. The Danes don't worry about homelessness, poverty or unemployment. – If you lose your job, the government steps in to pay 90% of your salary for 4 years and helps you find new employment.

3. Health care is free to everyone. – The country wouldn't have it any other way.

4. The government takes special care of women and children. – Women get 6 - 12 months of paid maternity leave. Citizens get a free education and are paid $400 - $500 per month upon entering a university.

5. People are free to pursue careers based on interests and talents, in lieu of income. – Taxes are progressive. If you earn more, you are taxed more -- up to 60%. {Other sources say, the average worker pays 44% and the highest earner 62% in taxes. Details here.}

But the Danes support these equalizers. They don't mind paying higher taxes because they feel they get a lot for it. As explained by Nanna, a 44 year old resident of Copenhagen, “Then you have healthy, educated people in the world. What could beat that?”

I admire this way of thinking and how it carries into the home décor. I don't like clutter and apparently, neither do Danes. The typical Danish design is modern, clean, bright, sparse and organized. Plus, the big windows are divine! I'm use to more space (and coziness) than the family of five shown here. But what appeals to me – and makes my heart flutter! – is the idea of having everything you need, without the excess of things you don't need. Makes you think, doesn't it? Now you'll have to excuse me; I'm stepping away to get rid of extra stuff and to write a note.

Note to self: If you don't use it, lose it. Focus on what's important.