Today marks the 175th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, Princess della Cisterna, Duchess of Aosta and Queen of Spain, who was born on this day in 1847! The aristocratic Heiress who was the Princess della Cisterna, Princess of Belriguardo, Marchioness of Voghera and Countess of Ponderano in her own right, she married Prince Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta, a younger son of King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, who became the King of Spain between 1870 and 1873, passing away at the age of 29, soon after their return. To mark the day, we are featuring the Duchess’ spectacular Musy Pearl Tiara!
This spectacular Tiara is composed of graduated scroll motifs set with diamonds, framing eleven slightly baroque drop-shaped natural pearls, this Tiara was likely a gift to Princess Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo when she married the Duke of Aosta in 1867, created by Musy Padre e Figli, the Court Jeweller of Turin. The then Queen Maria Vittoria was pictured wearing the Tiara in an engraving.
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After her death in 1876, the Musy TIara was inherited by one of the younger sons of the Duchess of Aosta, both of whom died unmarried, and it was then acquired by King Umberto II of Italy to prevent it from leaving the family. By the 1960s, the pair of coordinating earrings began to be worn by his daughter, Princess Maria Gabriella, who was often pictured wearing the Musy Tiara as a Necklace through the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2021, Princess Maria Gabriella put the Duchess of Aosta’s Musy Pearl TIara up for Auction at the Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels Sale in Geneva, with the Tiara also being featured in an Instagram Filter and other promotional material with an estimate of 940,000 – 1,400,000 CHF, eventually achieving 1,460,000 CHF. The current owner of the Tiara is unknown.
