The Queen Victoria Emerald Tiara was designed by Prince Albert, the Prince Consort of Queen Victoria. The tiara was made by court jewelers under his supervision in 1845. According to records, the Prince took a key interest in the re-cutting of the Koh-i-Noor diamond in 1852 after it arrived in England from India. The Duke of Wellington also became involved in the project.
A few years prior, in 1843, a necklace, earrings, and a brooch were made for Victoria. She noted in her diary how she loved the jewellery and how she thought her husband was very talented with his design.
Victoria chose not to include the set in the list of “royal jewels”, meaning they would not move on to her son upon her death and then continue to move from monarch to monarch. Instead, she initially loaned the tiara to one of her granddaughter in the 1880s. The tiara was not included in an inventory of Queen Victoria’s jewels in 1896. It’s believed the tiara was likely passed down to relatives.
Seven decades later, the tiara was spotted on Caroline, the wife of the 3rd Duke of Fife during the State Opening of Parliament in 1960.
The tiara has been displayed at Kensington Palace and was part of a special exhibition at Sothebys for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
