It’s made of diamonds and pearls and is meant to represent a sunburst. But this tiara was such a surprise to its first wearer that she was reported to need a lie down after wearing it for the first time.
The tiara in question is a pearl and diamond diadem belonging to the Japanese Imperial family. Empress Masako has several stunning tiaras that she can wear for formal events. However, she hasn’t worn the Pearl Sunburst Tiara since she became empress in 2019 and it’s got a bit of a reputation. For its previous owner is said to had developed such a bad headache wearing it for the first time that she needed to leave a state dinner early.
This tiara was created by Japanese jeweller Mikimoto in 1960 for the then-Crown Princess Michiko. Made of thin diamond bursts to make a kokoshnik silhouette, there are several pearls topping the tiara for a slightly softer look. The women of the Japanese Imperial Family only wear white stones (largely diamonds and pearls), making the elegant tiara the perfect choice.
The tiara is part of a parure that features a coordinating, mirrored necklace and a diamond and pearl brooch.Â
Crown Princess Michiko wore the tiara for several diplomatic events, including a dinner at the White House in 1960. She left the event early, with some suggesting afterwards that the heavy weight of the tiara gave her a headache.
The tiara remained wasn’t used after 1989 when Michiko became Empress of Japan upon her husband’s accession to the Chrysanthemum throne. It reappeared in the mid 2000s on the new Crown Princess, Masako. She wore the tiara for several outings, including at King Willem-Alexander of the Netherland’s inauguration in 2013.Â
As we have not seen Empress Masako in the Pearl Sunburst Tiara since 2019, it very well might be worn by another member of the family soon.
