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After the fall of Napoleon, jewelry on both sides of the channel became more extravagant and some of the finest tiaras were created at that time. In the nineteenth century and the rise of democracies and the nouveau riche, the wearing of diadems and tiaras shifted from a political to a fashion statement. For the new upwardly mobile classes, the tiara became a `must have' addition to the female wardrobe for social events. Not surprisingly, this period marked the rise of the wedding tiara.

Empress Josephine of France Sapphire and Diamonds

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The oldest known Christian crown in Europe was the iron crown of the Lombards. It was made (it was claimed) from one of the beaten down nails from the Cross and was decorated with gold and jewels and crowned the heads of kings for over a thousand years. Like many crowns of the Christian era in Europe, it was a circlet, without arches or cap. A `coronet' as it's name implies is a small crown. Unlike a crown, it never has arches and consists of ornaments fixed to a metal ring.

Papal Tiara

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The Roman republic had a similar distaste for kingship and the wearing of a diadem or tiara (by then, the same thing) was banned. Even Julius Caesar - after he had defeated Pompey and the Senate and established his dictatorship, didn't feel secure enough to accept the proffered crown and accepted a laurel wreath instead. It wasn't until the fourth century AD, with the complete subjection of the Senate and people, that emperors began wearing a diadem. By the time Roman authority was finally extinguished in the west, the tiara or crown had become a symbol of royal authority.

Countess of Paris Emeralds and Diamonds

Photo by Jewels of Count Alexandra

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In the fourth Century BC with the failure of Athens, and the rise of the Syracusan tyrants and later Alexander the Great, the democratic experiment was over and absolute power was concentrated in the persons of Alexander and his heirs. They all donned Persian dress and wore diadems dressed in gold and precious stones.

Empress Josephine of France Ruby Diamond Tiara

Photo by Jewels of Count Alexandra

Hair Ties Blog on Tiaras continued

In ancient Greece, a diadem (from `diadeo' to bind around) was originally a white ribbon bound around the head. Several of the Greek gods have been portrayed wearing diadems on frescos and pottery and not surprisingly, the Greeks dressed divine statues with them and even awarded them to star athletes. Throughout the classical period, when monarchies or tyrannies in Greece were regarded with some distaste, so when certain generals took to donning diadems or (even worse) Persian dress, they were regarded as upstarts and dealt with harshly.

Photo Jewels of Count Alexandra

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ANCIENT ORIGINS

The purpose of a crown or tiara has always been, to portray the wearer as someone special, someone ordained by the gods. Those origins are as ancient as society itself, and every culture had some form of headdress or crown. The ancient Egyptian pharaohs wore a triple crown demonstrating the unity of the culture, while the Assyrian kings wore a headdress featuring bulls horns and feathers.

The term `tiara' originates in ancient Persia, where only the king was allowed to tie his tiara up so that it stood erect. It was tall and conical in shape and richly ornamented with jewels. Later papal tiaras had a similar shape.

Excerpt from Wedding Tiaras

 
The history of tiaras is somewhat cloudy, but most jewelry historians credit the Egyptians for creating the first tiaras. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) had an influence on tiaras in more recent times; his love for announcing he and his family's affluence and nobility made the tiara a required accessory at all social functions during his reign. The tiara was at its heyday between the early 1800s and the beginning of World War I (1917-1920).

Excerpt from: What are Tiaras