The mysterious fate of a tiara described as one of the most beautiful royal jewels in history

Queen Sophia of Sweden, wife of King Oscar II, owned one of the most unique and beautiful tiaras in royal history, the Pink Topaz Tiara. However, it is at the heart of a modern mystery. 

Queen Sophia owned a pink topaz parure with several stunning pieces. The floral tiara featured nine large topaz stones and many smaller diamonds, a bracelet with one large pink topaz, and a topaz and diamond brooch. It is unknown who created this tiara but it first appeared in records in the 1870s. 

The Swedish queen wore the tiara for several portraits and is shown wearing it in a painting of King Oscar’s coronation. 

Sophia’s son, Prince Oscar, inherited the diadem upon her death, and her daughter-in-law, Princess Ebba Bernadotte, wore the tiara. 

Their son, Count Folke, inherited the tiara and his wife, Countess Estelle Bernadotte used it frequently. 

King Harald and Queen Sonja bought the Pink Topaz Tiara sometime in the 1980s; however, Queen Sonja has never been seen wearing it. 

Queen Sonja had sent the tiara to Garrard & Co in 1995 for maintenance and cleaning, along with other pieces. In February of that year, three armed thieves broke into Garrard and stole a bag containing several Norwegian royal jewels. None  of the stolen pieces have been recovered.