Queen Elizabeth II’s jewel vault contains many treasures, but only two publicly known ruby tiaras, one of which is the Burmese Ruby Tiara.
The Queen commissioned the Burmese Ruby Tiara in 1973 from royal jewellers Garrard & Co. from pieces already found in her collection: Burma rubies and diamonds from the Nizam of Hyderabad tiara, both gifted to her as wedding presents in 1947.
The Burmese rubies were a gift from the people of Burma, who believed that rubies possessed protection and healing powers against illness—there are 96 illnesses that a person can catch, and therefore The Queen was gifted 96 rubies.
The Nizam of Hyderabad tiara was created by Cartier, a gift from the ruler of the Hyderabad region in India (who was called the Nizam of Hyderabad). The ruler allowed the then Princess Elizabeth to choose from Cartier’s jewellery and pick a parure of her choice. She chose a floral diamond and necklace set that had been created in the 1930s as her gift, and wore the pieces with regularity in the early years of her reign.
In 1973, The Queen decided to have a ruby tiara created, and the result was a floral themed tiara that reflected the Tudor Rose symbol of a red rose inside a white rose setting. Each ruby in the tiara was set in gold while the diamonds were set in silver to create a floral wreath.
The only other publicly known ruby tiara in The Queen’s collection is the Oriental Circlet, but The Queen Mother considered it one of her personal favourites, and though The Queen inherited all of the royal jewels upon ascending to the throne, she allowed her mother to use the Oriental Circlet for the remainder of her life, inheriting it back upon her death in 2002.
The Oriental Circlet came with ruby brooches, necklaces and earrings that The Queen has worn on many occasions, pairing them with the Burmese Ruby Tiara at white tie events.
The Queen most recently wore the Burmese Ruby Tiara in 2019 for the State Banquet held in honour of the State Visit of Donald Trump, then US President, to the United Kingdom.
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