Vladimir Tiara
Attributed to Bolin, St Petersburg. c1874
Diamonds, silver, gold, pearls and (alternatively) emeralds
6.7 x 19.8 cm (whole object)
The intersecting brilliant-set circles of the frame are hung with 15 large claw-set pendant pearls, which can be replaced with emerald drops.
This beautiful piece of jewellery has graced the heads of three magnificent matriarchs of royal dynasties: the Grand Duchess Vladimir (who commissioned it), Queen Mary (who bought it) and Queen Elizabeth II (who inherited it).

In August of 1874, the 20-year-old Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin married into the Romanov family, which made her Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (1854 - 1920). As the newest member of the royal dynasty, the Grand Duchess needed her own set of jewels to meet the elaborate standards of the Russian imperial court, prompting the Romanov court jeweller (most probably Bolin, Russia’s most famous jeweller after Fabergé, ) to fashion what is known today as the Vladimir Tiara.
Consisting of 15 interlocking diamond rings, each encasing its own suspended, drop-shaped pearl, this tiara—among her countless other jewels—made her both the rival and envy of the other Romanov women. She wore it interchangeably in both its original and closed-circlet form—meaning without the backing row of curved diamonds and the pearl drops. Its style was a revolution in simplicity by the standards of the time when the leading trend was the Garland style, with jewellery tending to be modelled on elaborate festoons of flowers. The circle tiara was hugely successful and its groundbreaking style was recognised by Cartier, who took the opportunity to make three copies of it when it was sent there for cleaning.
The year of 1917, however, marked a turning point for the Russian Empire. Its people, broke out into a period of extended violent protest known today as The Russian Revolution.
Following this, Maria Pavlovna was instructed to flee for her own safety, leaving her no choice but to stash her precious jewels in a hidden safe in the Vladimir Palace.

With Maria Pavlovna tucked away in a private villa, her son, Grand Duke Boris, and his friend, a British secret agent, Albert Henry (Bertie) Stopford, devised a plan to retrieve the jewels. Disguised as workmen, the two snuck into the Vladimir Palace and, with the help of a caretaker on the inside, successfully smuggled the contents to London.
Just months later, Maria Pavlovna, who at that point, was the last Romanov grand duchess to escape from Russia, was pronounced dead. Before her passing, she had already split her belongings—including her many jewels—among her four children. The Vladimir Tiara went to her only daughter, Grand Duchess Elena, now Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (1882 - 1957).

A year after her mother’s passing, Grand Duchess Elena decided to sell most of her possessions to support what was left of her family. Of the many buyers, Queen Mary was perhaps one of the biggest, purchasing the Vladimir Tiara for a price of £28,000.
The tiara was in dire need of repair from the damage it had taken during the tumultuous journey from Russia to England. However, rather than going through with a simple restoration project, Queen Mary had plans to make it more adaptable. As a result, in 1924 the tiara was adjusted such that it could be worn with the original pearl drops or with a set of fifteen emerald ones, crafted from part of the collection of The Cambridge Emeralds, a group of around 40 cabochon stones that had previously belonged to her grandmother.

Queen Mary’s clever modification to the Vladimir Tiara marked its claim to fame long after her passing. In fact, after having been handed down to the current Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the tiara became a regular sighting at royal events. It was completely remade in 1988 by Garrards in a platinum (or is it gold) frame. The old frame was not melted down, but was returned to Buckingham Palace to be kept for its historical value.
The original pearls seem to be Her Majesty's most frequent pick. The emeralds, however, have been seen less and less in recent years. Occasionally, she wears the tiara without its pendants, just as the Grand Duchess used to. This gives the otherwise strikingly intricate tiara a lighter, more understated appearance, making it fit for any occasion.
The Copy
This replica comes from our friends in China. Cleverly they have the interlocking rings larger at the top and narrowing down towards the base. However the top ribbon of diamonds that holds the hanging pearls is shown going over the top of the rings which is incorrect, whilst the rings should be thicker in width. But all in all its not a bad copy in cubic zirconia and about the right height, perhaps a centimetre too short.
Thanks for help with the article to TOWN AND COUNTRY Magazine, CROWN JEWELLERY by Rene Brus, THE QUEEN`S DIAMONDS by Hugh Roberts. Any original photographs are copyright of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Second.