Chaumet Choker Tiara

Happy Birthday to Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, who turns 67 today! The consort of the Sovereign of the world’s only Grand Duchy, the Grand Duchess has one of the most magnificent jewellery collections in her possession, but one of her favourite jewel for decades has been the Chaumet Choker Tiara!

The versatile Chaumet Tiara consists of a Diamond Trellis topped by Diamonds and Pearls, which can be detached, while the Diamond Trellis can also be worn as a Choker. While it was often reported that the Tiara was created from a necklace belonging to Grand Duchess Charlotte, the House of Chaumet confirmed to Luxarazzi:

[It is] a unique piece made by Chaumet and [we] do have a nickel of the tiara (topped with sapphires) in [our] salons but it is not the exact replica. This [Tiara] was sold during a public auction and now belongs to the Royal Family.”

The Chaumet Choker Tiara was acquitted at some point by the early 1980s, when it was worn by the newlywed Hereditary Grand Duchess Maria Teresa for a portrait taken soon after her Wedding to the future Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg in 1981.

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In 1982, the smaller version of the Chaumet Choker Tiara was worn by Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg for her Wedding Ball with Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg.

The Chaumet Choker Tiara appeared on Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg the next year, when it was worn for her uncle, King Olav V of Norway’s, 80th Birthday Gala in 1983, and was later worn for Princess Märtha-Louise of Norway’s 18th Birthday Gala in 1989, a Banquet in London in 1994, and Prince Henrik’s Birthday Banquet in 1994.

After Grand Duke Henri’s Accession in 2000, the Chaumet Choker Tiara became a favourite of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, being worn for the Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in 2001, on the Luxembourg State Visit to Denmark in 2003, and also at the Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2004.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore the smaller version of the Chaumet Choker Tiara with Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte’s Sapphire Necklace Tiara for the Luxembourg National Day Gala in 2005, and the full version was worn for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 60th Birthday Banquet in 2006 as well as an Italian State Visit in 2009 and the King’s Dinner for Nobel Laureates in 2011.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore the Chaumet Choker with the Vine Leaves Tiara for King Harald V’ of Norways 70th Birthday Banquet in 2007, and the following year, it was worn with the Belgian Scroll Tiara for the Swedish State Visit to Luxembourg.

In 2012, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa choose the Chaumet Choker Tiara for one of the biggest royal gatherings in the Grand Duchy for decades, the Wedding Gala of her elder son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, and Countess Stephanie de Lannoy at the Palais Grand Ducal.

Princess Alexandra debuted the smaller version of the Chaumet Choker Tiara at the Luxembourg National Day Gala in 2016, and when she accompanied the Grand Duke for the Luxembourg State Visit to Japan the following year, she wore full version of the Tiara for the State Banquet at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

In 2018, the smaller version of the Chaumet Choker Tiara by Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie for the State Banquet in honour of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands during their State Visit to Luxembourg, paired with Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte’s Sapphire Necklace Tiara.

After years of predominantly wearing the Belgian Scroll Tiara, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore the Chaumet Choker Tiara just days after the Dutch State Visit, for Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark’s 50th Birthday Gala Dinner at Christiansborg Palace.

Most recently, the smaller version of the Chaumet Choker Tiara was worn by Princess Alexandra for the Luxembourg New Years Reception at the Grand Ducal Palace in 2020. There is no doubt we will continue to see this Royal Heirloom for years to come!