Dutch Aquamarine Tiara

Today marks the 115th Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, who was born on this day in 1909! The popular Dutch Queen, whose Reign saw the decolonisation of the Dutch Empire and the formation of a ‘Bicycle Monarchy’, Queen Juliana also inherited the entire Dutch Royal Jewellery Collection, which began with the striking Dutch Aquamarine Tiara!

When Crown Princess Juliana of The Netherlands celebrated her 18th Birthday in 1927, she received a striking Aquamarine Tiara created by Van Kempen, Begeer & Vos, composed of a base of square-cut aquamarines and diamonds topped by seven Brazilian briolette aquamarines.

The Tiara was a gift from her parents, Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik, alongside an Aquamarine and Diamond Sautoir set with seven large square aquamarines with a rectangular aquamarine pendant, that was a gift from her grandmother, Queen Emma. When Princess Juliana got married in 1937, she received a large pear-shaped aquamarine pendant from her groom, Prince Bernhard, as well as two pairs of briolette aquamarine earrings from her mother-in-law, Princess Armgard. Prince Bernhard later gifted a cushion cut aquamarine Brooch, as well as another Brooch and a Ring.

Crown Princess Juliana first wore the Aquamarine Tiara with the Aquamarine Necklace, Earrings, and Brooch for the Dutch State Visit to Sweden in 1946, which was one of her first Gala Appearances following the Dutch Royal Family’s return to The Netherlands after their exile during the Second World War.

Queen Juliana wore the Aquamarine Tiara and Parure again for a Return Banquet during the Dutch State Visit to Sweden in 1957, a few years before the Tiara and Parure were put into the Orange-Nassau Family Foundation.

Princess Beatrix began wearing the Aquamarine Tiara and parure in the 1960s, most notably for a Banquet during the Dutch State Visit to Belgium in 1960.

Princess Irene wore the Aquamarine Tiara and Parure on numerous occasions through the 1960s, including for the Thai State Visit to The Netherlands in 1960, the Wedding Ball of King Baudouin and Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón at the Royal Palace of Brussles in 1960, the Austrian State Visit to The Netherlands in 1961, and Queen Juliana’s Silver Anniversary in 1962.

Princess Margriet has worn the Aquamarine Parure quite often over the decades, most notably for Princess Beatrix’s Wedding Dinner in Delft in 1966, the Luxembourg State Visit to The Netherlands in 1967, the Swedish State Visit to The Netherlands in 2009, and the Peter Stuyvesant Ball.

Queen Juliana continued to wear pieces of the Aquamarine Parure through the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, most notably for the Wedding of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1966, the Christening of King Willem-Alexander in 1967, and the Inauguration of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands in 1980.

Following her Accession, Queen Beatrix most notably wore the Aquamarine Tiara and Parure for the Dutch State Banquet at Fredensborg Palace in 1984, after Queen Margrethe had reportedly asked her to wear the blue-stone Stuart Tiara but she misunderstood.

Princess Máxima wore the Aquamarine Tiara before her wedding for the Spanish State Visit to The Netherlands in 2001, and it was later worn for the Luxembourg State Visit to The Netherlands in 2006 and the Dutch State Visit to Turkey in 2007 as well as the Wedding Ball of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco in 2011.

Queen Beatrix wore the Aquamarine Tiara in the latter years of her reign, most notably on the Dutch State Visit to Brunei in 2013 shortly before announcing her Abdication.

Princess Laurentien most notably wore the Aquamarine Tiara for Queen Beatrix’s Abdication Dinner at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 2013.

While she has frequently worn the Earrings and Brooches, Queen Máxima has worn the Aquamarine Tiara quite sporadically since the King’s Accession, wearing it for the Diplomatic Corps Gala Dinner at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam in 2018 and the Indian State Visit to The Netherlands in 2022, while the Parure was worn for the Dutch State Visit to Germany in 2021.

The Princess of Orange has not yet worn the Aquamarine Tiara, but wore the Earrings from the Aquamarine Parure for Koningsdag 2021 in Eindhoven.

Princess Beatrix has most recently worn the Aquamarine Tiara for the Italian State Visit to The Netherlands in 2022. There is no doubt we will continue to see the Aquamarine Tiara for years to come!