Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch: #5. The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara (Queen Mary's)

The fifth spot on your favorite tiara countdown goes to another tiara that has held steady through the years, grabbing the same place this time as it did last time:

The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara (Queen Mary's)

It goes by the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara (the name by which it has been most popularly known for decades) and Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, but it hardly needs a title at all - it's one of the most famous tiaras in the world. (I tend to use both names, and either is welcome here.) The "Cambridge" part of the whole deal is a reference to the fact that this tiara is not an original; in 1913, Queen Mary had E. Wolff & Co. and Garrard make a copy of a lover's knot tiara once owned by her grandmother, Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge.

Two different tiaras, one design: Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge and her lover's knot tiara (sold in 1981) on the left and Queen Mary and her copy on the right.

Augusta's tiara isn't unique, either; multiple versions of this "lover's knot" design exist. Augusta's original tiara passed down away from the Cambridge name and into obscurity. It went first to her daughter, Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and on down through the family until it was eventually sold at Christie's in 1981. Meanwhile, Queen Mary's continues to capture the public spotlight.

Through generations: Queen Mary (with the original top row of pearls), Queen Elizabeth II, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Queen Mary's version sticks to the basic design common in other lover's knot tiaras, featuring pearl pendants dangling from diamond knots in a diamond framework. Mary originally included the same row of upright pearls on top of the tiara as other lover's knot diadems (including her inspiration) have, but - in true Queen Mary form, never finished fussing with her gems - she later had the top pearl row removed.

Diana in Ottawa, 1983

Queen Elizabeth II inherited the tiara on Queen Mary's death in 1953 and wore it herself earlier in her reign. The tiara gained world fame when she loaned it to Diana, Princess of Wales following her 1981 marriage.

Catherine at the Spanish state banquet, 2017

It's now gaining even more fame as a loan to the Duchess of Cambridge, who first wore the tiara in 2015. (We revisited the complete history of this gem in honor of that debut, click here to refresh your memory.)

So here's the question of the day: Which appearance of this iconic tiara is the best one? Which combo of wearer to dress to hair to tiara really made it sing?

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Diana wears the tiara with the Catherine Walker "Elvis dress" in Hong Kong, 1989

Too obvious? I can't help it. It's just...*chef kiss* The whole thing! The high collar of that bolero jacket is an inspired complement for the tall, proud kokoshnik shape up top. I'd go so far as to say that the "Elvis dress" is solely responsible for my love of this tiara. That's some serious styling power.

What's your favorite CLK appearance? Did it make your favorites list?

Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch: #6. The Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara

Your next tiara has made a roaring comeback in the past few years, from a piece that had essentially vanished from the royal scene all the way up to stealing the sixth place spot on your favorite tiara list, mainly thanks to a new wearer and a few high profile appearances.

The Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara

Much like your eighth place tiara, the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik has a solid shape reminiscent of the traditional kokoshnik headdress. This tiara features five large round aquamarine stones with a gorgeous deep aqua color. Aquamarines look spectacular as large stones, but they can be tough to integrate into a successful tiara design - an obstacle this tiara leaps over by using the kokoshnik shape and a delicate diamond trellis between the colorful stones. It can be paired with a matching brooch also featuring a large round aquamarine.

Princess Sibylla

The tiara is said to have come from Margaret of Connaught, first wife of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden. Her jewels were divided among her five surviving children when she died tragically young in 1920, while pregnant with her sixth child. Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha brought it into the royal spotlight in Sweden when she married Margaret's son, also named Gustaf Adolf. Princess Sibylla and Prince Gustaf Adolf - who also died tragically young, in a plane crash - had five children, the youngest of which is King Carl XVI Gustaf. Princess Sibylla gave the Aquamarine Kokoshnik and brooch to her eldest child, Princess Margaretha.

Princess Margaretha, 2010

Princess Margaretha married British businessman John Ambler and moved to the United Kingdom, leaving behind the majority of her involvement with royal events and thus taking the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik mostly out of the royal game. Her daughter wore it for her wedding day, but it went so unseen for so many years that people began to wonder if the tiara has quietly been sold. She surprised everyone - and proved the sale rumors wrong - by popping up in the tiara and brooch for Crown Princess Victoria's wedding in 2010.

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Princess Madeleine, 2015

And now the tiara has reentered the royal game. Princess Margaretha stores it in Sweden and has allowed her sister, Princess Christina, and her niece, Princess Madeleine, to wear it. Margaretha has also worn it for other family events in Sweden since 2010.

Anna-Lena Ahlström, The Royal Court, Sweden

I think it's fair to say that the tiara's best showcase comes courtesy of Princess Madeleine. Aquamarine stones suit her incredibly well and she has a fair collection of them herself, including her 18th birthday tiara (the Swedish Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara) and a couple pieces inherited from Princess Lilian.

After debuting the tiara at the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony in 2015, Princess Madeleine used it for one of the greatest tiara events in recent history: a tea party for sick children at the palace, for which she turned up in full on princess gear. Still one of the royal engagements worth revisiting any day. That event alone could give this tiara fairy tale status, although I think it was pretty much there already.

Does the addition of the Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara to your top 10 surprise you? Did it make your personal favorites list?

Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch: #7. The Poltimore Tiara

This tiara entered into the Tiara Hall of Fame thanks to just one royal wearer, and even though it has now left the royal spotlight, it's still holding strong as your seventh favorite tiara - both last time and this time.

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The Poltimore Tiara

The Poltimore Tiara, made of diamonds set in silver and gold, with cushion-shaped and old-cut stones in clusters and scroll motifs, was made by Garrard in the 1870s for Florence, Lady Poltimore, wife of the second Baron Poltimore.

The Poltimore in its necklace and brooch formats

It's a thoroughly convertible piece: the large scrolls can be worn individually as brooches, and the long rows of clusters form a necklace when taken off the tiara frame. (The tiara comes in a blue leather case with brooch fittings and a special screwdriver included, of course.)

Lady Poltimore and her tiara

The tiara entered the royal spotlight in 1959, when the fourth Baron Poltimore sold the tiara at auction for £5,500. It was acquired for Princess Margaret and she began wearing it that same year in its necklace, brooch, and tiara formats. She wore the tiara during a state visit from the Shah of Iran in 1959, which may have been its public debut.

Princess Margaret on her wedding day, 1960

The following year, Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones wearing a Norman Hartnell wedding gown topped with the Poltimore Tiara. The detail of the tiara was well showcased by the divinely clean lines of her wedding ensemble, and the tall tiara both added inches to the petite bride's height and balanced the width of her veil and skirt. The tiara and the bride, at least, were a match made in heaven. From its iconic bridal outing to the end of Margaret's life, the Poltimore Tiara was the diadem with which she was most strongly associated.

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Wearing the necklace and one of the brooches with the Lotus Flower Tiara

The Poltimore is, of course, no longer with any member of the royal family. Princess Margaret's children, the Earl of Snowdon (then Viscount Linley) and Sarah Chatto staged an auction of her jewels and other possessions at Christie's in 2006 in order to pay the inheritance taxes on her estate following her 2002 death. The sale was headlined by this tiara.

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The press surrounding the sale and the royal addition to the tiara's history worked some serious magic: the Poltimore Tiara had an estimated value of £150,000 - £200,000 but it sold for £926,400 ($1,704,576). It was said at the time that the new owner was a private Asian buyer.

Wearing the Teck Circle Necklace

Princess Margaret wore a few different tiaras in her youth but was down to just three she wore in her later years, including the Poltimore. The second was the Lotus Flower Tiara, which went to the Queen and has been loaned to the Duchess of Cambridge. The third was the Persian Turquoise Tiara, which hasn't been seen since Margaret died. Meanwhile, her children are still set should they have any future tiara needs: the Teck Circle Necklace - which was used as a tiara by the Queen Mother and just as a necklace by Margaret - is with the Countess of Snowdon (who also has a wooden tiara, a playful take on tradition by her husband, whose company makes bespoke furniture and other luxury items), and the brooches that make up the Snowdon Floral Tiara have been worn by Lady Sarah. But as for the Poltimore, it has disappeared. For now.

If the Poltimore was still in the royal family, who would you want to see wear it?

and

Did it make your favorites list?

Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch: #8. Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

A kokoshnik is a traditional Russian headdress. A kokoshnik tiara is a tiara with a kokoshnik-like shape, usually with a fairly straight or solid top line. There can be many versions. But if you're talking about THE Kokoshnik, then you must mean the one, the only:

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra celebrated their silver wedding anniversary in 1888, when they were still the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Ladies of Society - 365 peeresses of the Realm - wanted to gift the future queen with a tiara for the occasion, so they did the reasonable thing and asked her what sort of tiara she might like to receive. Her request resulted in what I'd say is the most famous kokoshnik-style tiara in the world today.

Queen Alexandra

Alexandra's request was inspired by the jewels of the Russian imperial court, where bejeweled interpretations of traditional kokoshniks were all the rage. She would have had ample knowledge of the Russian splendor; her sister was Empress Marie (Maria) Feodorovna, who had at her disposal a staggering collection of jewelry, and her own kokoshnik fringe tiara served as inspiration.

Queen Mary

The version created for Queen Alexandra is by Garrard and has 61 platinum bars pave-set with diamonds. There are 488 diamonds, the largest two weighing 3.25 carats apiece. The tiara has been altered at least once; it could originally be worn as a necklace and originally included more bars.

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Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Alexandra died in 1925 and this tiara was inherited by her daughter-in-law, Queen Mary. When Queen Mary died in 1953, the tiara was inherited by her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. It has been in regular use by the Queen ever since. She wears it with some of her favorite diamond necklaces and earrings, and has also used its simple design as a foil for some of her more complicated colored stone jewel sets.

By Ricardo Thomas - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library: B0570-24, Public Domain

The design of the Kokoshnik Tiara does indeed seem simple. It can even seem a little too simple in still photographs. (Some of our readers have dubbed it - lovingly, I'm sure - the Popsicle Sticks.) But the magic of this diadem comes when you see it in action. The pavé setting means that diamonds are everywhere, allowing it to capture and reflect every possible ray of light.

In motion, it's a wall of diamonds that dances under the lights. Certainly among the Queen's best diamonds, and just about as regal as it gets, I think.

Did THE Kokoshnik make your list of favorites?

Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch: #9. The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik are delighted to welcome you to the ninth spot on our countdown of your top ten tiaras:

The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara

Your ninth pick shares some heritage with your tenth spot, the Cameo Tiara, because both come from the court of Napoleon and both have spent time in Sweden. The Danish Ruby Parure got its start as a set of jewelry bought by Jean Baptiste Bernadotte for his wife, Désirée Clary, to wear to Napoleon's coronation as Emperor of the French in 1804. The couple later became King and Queen of Sweden, taking the ruby set with them to their new country. The rubies then made their way to Denmark in 1869 as a wedding gift for Queen Louise, who was born a Swedish princess and married the future King Frederik VIII, and passed down until they landed in the hands of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. We revisited the complete story of the Danish Ruby Parure earlier this year, so click here to read up on its extensive history.

Queen Ingrid, before and after her alterations to the tiara

As the Ruby Parure made its way through the generations, the tiara began to take shape. It was originally just a set of floral ornaments which were later shaped into a slender wreath tiara. Queen Ingrid, Queen Margrethe's mother and the name primarily associated with the rubies until Mary came along, added a floral brooch from the set into the tiara to create the more substantial piece we know today.

The complete Danish Ruby Parure today

Crown Princess Mary continued the tradition of altering the ruby parure to suit her own needs. She changed the shape of the tiara to suit her better, creating a set of hairpins with the extra pieces. She added a ruby and diamond ring. She also added flexibility to other pieces, allowing pendants to be removed and swapped out across the parure. It's growing hard to catalog all the different ways Mary has used the Ruby Parure since she changed it, so many variations are now possible.

Between today's available variations, the multiple past tiara variations, and the many gowns the set has been paired with so far, one can't help but ask: Which Danish Ruby Parure appearance is the best Danish Ruby Parure appearance of them all?

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Crown Princess Mary in 2004

My nominations for best Danish Ruby Parure appearance begin with some of my very favorite Mary gowns, of course. Mary's not shy about pairing the rubies with a range of colorful gowns, taking full advantage of the fact that the red stone portion of the tiara is pretty small, and yet a red gown can't help but be a dream combo. This Uffe Frank dress was said to have been inspired by Queen Ingrid, who was the master of wearing allllll the rubies, so that fits. It was worn for Mary's second-ever tiara appearance...

In 2004

...and her first-ever tiara appearance also gets a nom from me. Which proves to me that Mary knew what she was doing with these rubies from day one. Impressive. (She later wore the same silvery ice blue Malene Birger gown to the New Year's Court gala in 2009, with much better hair but with only the ruby stud earrings.)

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In 2007

With my third nominee for best Ruby Parure appearance - the original appearance of that now-altered burgundy velvet Birgit Hallstein gown that I never miss a chance to fawn over - my Ruby Parure preferences are clear: the Queen Ingrid version of the tiara, please, and the full earrings and full necklace all worn at one time. I love the flexibility that Mary has added to the set and I love that she wears it so much more often since making her changes, but it means that she no longer wears all of it at one time, and man, I miss seeing the whole shebang. Alas!

What's your favorite Danish Ruby Parure Tiara appearance?

and

Did this one make your favorites list?

Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch: #10. The Cameo Tiara

You voted for your favorite tiara, and the results are in! We're counting down your top ten tiaras, beginning with...

The Cameo Tiara
De Kongelige Juveler screencap

Your tenth tiara has a "love it or hate it" reputation, but apparently the scales have tipped over to the "love it" side! Sweden's Cameo Tiara is memorable, it's historical, and its most recent appearance was a particularly great one, so why not?

The Cameo Tiara on Queen Josephine of Sweden (top, both), Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden (bottom, left), and Queen Ingrid of Denmark (bottom, right)

As one of the oldest tiaras still in regular use, it's seen a long history filled with prominent wearers on its path from Empress Joséphine and the French imperial court to the current Swedish royal family. Click here to read its entire history, which we revisited last year.

Cameo brides: (top, L-R) Princess Birgitta, Princess Désirée, (bottom, L-R) Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria

It's an impressive set of jewelry, grouped together with a necklace, bracelet, brooch, and earrings. And while a tiara like this could easily become a niche selection in a royal collection as large as Sweden's, the Cameo's position as a family wedding tiara has kept it in the spotlight.

It's a statement diadem, and as such, it needs to be carefully styled. I love the Cameo myself, but I also find that my own appreciation varies wildly depending on the appearance. That's the big Cameo question, I think: how exactly should this thing be styled?

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Queen Silvia, 1998

Queen Silvia's most frequent solution to that question is to pair the tiara and its parure with like colors, matching the gold tones and the colors of the cameos with gowns from the bronze, coral, and orange families. That's too much for me, though (which I say as one who rarely likes anything in the coral and orange range in the first place). A dress like the one above has so much going on by itself, the Cameo Tiara and its accompanying jewels don't get a chance to shine.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel's wedding, 2010
By Holger Motzkau 2010, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (cc-by-sa-3.0), CC BY-SA 3.0

Perhaps that's one reason why it's so successful as a wedding tiara. I mean, you can't get a much better canvas than a white dress. I have no doubt that Crown Princess Victoria's excellent wedding appearance swayed a good number of you over to #TeamCameo, and I agree. This was also a superior use of the rest of the Cameo set, using just the earrings and the bracelet without overdoing it.

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Queen Silvia, 2005

One strategy I'd like to see used more often: a little bit of contrast. This unexpected pairing with a blue gown is my very favorite non-wedding Cameo appearance. It's certainly one of the best showcases the parure has had.

Mostly, I'd just like to see the Cameo Tiara used more often. As of this writing, its last appearance was Crown Princess Victoria's wedding.

Crown Princess Victoria wearing the rest of the Cameo parure, 2016
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Although Victoria did taunt me at the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony in 2016 by wearing the whole Cameo Parure - just minus the tiara. (She substituted the Cut Steel Tiara, which is also a Napoleonic piece.) The Cameo Tiara has been reserved for Queen Silvia except for Victoria's wedding, but my fingers stay crossed that it will be added to Victoria's regular tiara rotation.

How would you style the Cameo Tiara?

and

Does it make your list of favorites?

Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch: Place Your Final Vote

You made your nominations and the top contenders have made it through to the final round in the battle to name your favorite tiara. Now it's time to make your final selection. One tiara to rule them all!

Together, you proposed more than 200 different tiaras to vie for the top spot in our contest for your favorite tiara. (Hello to those of you that made your first comments for the occasion! I hope you'll chat with us more often.) You nominated tiaras hailing from monarchies and museums and mystery owners; you nominated tiaras we see all the time and tiaras we've never seen worn; you nominated diamond tiaras and wooden tiaras and tiaras of just about every material in between.

The field has now been narrowed to the top 25 nominated tiaras. Your task now: pick just one as your most favorite of all.

Below are your 25 nominees, in alphabetical order (by the name I've used for their tiara posts; many are known by more than one name). Place your vote in the poll at the bottom of the post. The poll will be open until noon Eastern on Tuesday, August 8th.

The Baden Fringe Tiara

Crown Princess Victoria's signature tiara offers a rich royal history and a stylish twist on the diamond fringe, one of the most classic tiara designs. See the tiara's story here.

The Braganza Tiara

Also known as the Brazilian Tiara, this diamond floral tiara is the premier tiara in the Swedish royal collection and is among those reserved for the use of Queen Silvia. See the tiara's story here.

The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara (or Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara)

The tiara made famous by Diana, Princess of Wales, and now worn by the Duchess of Cambridge was commissioned by Queen Mary as a copy of one worn by her grandmother, Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge. (We use both the Cambridge and Queen Mary names for this piece here.) See the tiara's story here.

The Cameo Tiara

The tiara best known for its use at Swedish royal weddings boasts an impressively long history and memorable materials with its cameo, pearl, and gold design. See the tiara's story here.

The Connaught Tiara

Delicate diamond garlands shape this flexible tiara in the Swedish collection, which can also be used as a necklace and can have its pendants removed for use as their own necklace or earrings. See the tiara's story here.

The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara

This ruby tiara and its impressively complete accompanying parure became signature jewels for Queen Ingrid and then for Crown Princess Mary, with each royal lady putting her own spin on the historical set. See the tiara's story here.

The Duchess of Angoulême's Emerald Tiara 

Considered a masterpiece of craftsmanship from the time of the French monarchy, this emerald and diamond tiara has remarkably survived intact from its creation to today, where it is showcased at the Louvre. See the tiara's story here. 

The Dutch Diamond Bandeau

Sometimes called the Rose Cut Diamond Bandeau (though not actually made of rose cut diamonds), this frequently worn Dutch royal tiara is both simple and staggering, being composed of nothing but a single row of giant single diamonds. See the tiara's story here.

The Dutch Sapphire Tiara

Sometimes called the Mellerio Sapphire Tiara (though not actually made by Mellerio, as it turns out), this sapphire delight experienced an exponential rise in favor when Queen Máxima chose it for King Willem-Alexander's inauguration. See the tiara's story here.

The Fife Tiara

Featuring articulated diamond pendants in a delicate diamond framework, this tiara from Princess Louise of Wales, Duchess of Fife would probably be stunning in use - if only there were more modern examples of it in use. See the tiara's story here.

The Fleur De Lys Tiara

The premier tiara in the Spanish collection is currently earning its La Buena nickname on the head of Queen Letizia, who has made this another tiara with a recent boost in popularity due to a new wearer. See the tiara's story here.

The Floral Aigrette Tiara

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This Danish tiara is a splendid example of a classic diamond floral design with a big bonus: it's three separate pieces and can be worn on or off a frame, a flexibility used to full advantage by Queen Margrethe II. See the tiara's story here. 

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

 A classic design dating back to 1893, the "Girls", or the "GGBI", or - to Queen Elizabeth II - just "granny's tiara", is the Queen's favorite and arguably one of the most iconic tiaras in the world. See the tiara's story here. 

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

This pearl drop tiara with intertwined diamond circles survived a daring escape from the Russian revolution to find a new home and a new emerald drop option in the collection of Queen Mary (and, today, Queen Elizabeth II). See the tiara's story here. 

The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure Tiara

One of Queen Silvia's favorite tiaras has a long history and a complete set of jewels to go with it, all featuring luscious deep blue sapphires. See the tiara's story here.

The Lotus Flower Tiara

Also known as the Papyrus Leaf Tiara, this delicate diamond and pearl tiara went from the Queen Mother to Princess Margaret and back to the Queen, who has loaned it out for a new life with the Duchess of Cambridge. See the tiara's story here.

The Modern Fringe Tiara

Another variation on the classic diamond fringe tiara from the Swedish royal collection, Princess Madeleine wears this one regularly and it is convertible from a tiara to a necklace. See the tiara's story here.

The Oriental Circlet Tiara

Designed by Prince Albert and originally made with opal centers for Queen Victoria, this ruby tiara is best known from its use by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. See the tiara's story here.

The Poltimore Tiara

The tiara may have been sold, but this huge, flexible diamond diadem will forever be associated with Princess Margaret's most fabulous moments. See the tiara's story here. 

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

A silver wedding gift for Queen Alexandra inspired by the popular Russian kokoshnik-style fringe diadems, this tiara is simple in pictures but comes alive like no other when seen in motion (there's a video in this post). See the tiara's story here.

Queen Josephine's Amethyst Tiara

 Also known as the Napoleonic Amethyst Tiara, this Swedish tiara is a necklace on a tiara frame, part of a parure of magnificent amethysts which was swapped around by Queen Silvia and is now worn by multiple royal family members. See the tiara's story here. 

Queen Sophie's Diamond Tiara

This big gun from the Greek collection went unseen for decades - long enough to make you wonder if it was still with the family - before an amazing surprise reappearance in 2012 on the head of Princess Marie-Chantal. See the tiara's story here. 

Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara

Another Gothic Revival masterpiece designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria, this tiara features a stunning top row of cabochon emeralds and was immortalized in paintings by Winterhalter before disappearing into the lines of Queen Victoria's descendants. See the tiara's story here.

The Spanish Floral Tiara

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Often referred to as the Mellerio Floral Tiara, though it is another that turned out not to be by Mellerio, one of the prettiest tiaras in Spain is one of the most classic examples of a diamond floral tiara. See the tiara's story here.

The Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara

This tiara went from obscurity to adoration when Princess Madeleine started to wear it, bringing new attention to its beautiful combination of large aquamarine stones and a diamond kokoshnik design. See the tiara's story here.

And there you go, those are your nominees! Place your vote - yes, sorry, just one tiara this time! - in the poll below. (If you're reading this via email or a reader, you may need to click over.) The poll will be open until noon Eastern on Tuesday, August 8th. Choose wisely...

Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch: Make Your Nominations

Back in 2011, I asked which tiara was your favorite. I compiled the results of our little poll, and we counted down a list of your top tiaras.

Associated Press via Wikimedia Commons

Ever since then, the #1 request I receive from readers has been to do the favorite tiara vote again. We've covered well over 250 tiaras on the site now, and we've enjoyed a great many more tiara events. Affections change! Plus, you know, it's fun.

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So let's do it: Readers' Favorite Tiaras, The Rematch! Answer me this, if you please...

What's your favorite tiara?

Here's how this will work:

Make your nominations right here, and tell me which diadem(s) hold the top spot in your affections.

• You may name up to five tiaras. (Any more than five, I'll just count the first five you list.)
• Leave your nominations in the comments on this post. You can also get them to me via Twitter (@orderofsplendor) or via email (orderofsplendor at hotmail dot com).
• Please try to leave your nominations in a new comment, rather than in a reply to an existing comment. That will help ensure they get counted. (But of course, feel free to use the replies to chat about the sparkly goodness!)
• Nominations are open until noon, Eastern time, on Tuesday, August 1st.
• You may also lend your support to other nominations by upvoting the comments of others. These won't be weighted as highly as your own comment with nominations, but they will count.
• Need inspiration? Take a leisurely scroll through the Jewel Central page, where you'll find allllllll the diadems we've covered so far.

Later, we'll hold a final vote from the top nominated tiaras. And then...we'll have a very sparkly countdown.

Okay, so, tops on your agenda today: sparkly daydreams. Can you handle it??

I'll leave you to your pondering and the blog will return on Monday. Enjoy!

Update: Nominations are now closed! Thanks to all for their submissions. Stay tuned for the final round vote...

Readers' Ultimate Tiara Collection: The End

It's been a yearlong tiara voting extravaganza, and now it's time to bring it to a close.

Inspired by multiple reader requests for features on groups and types of tiaras, you have voted in different categories throughout the year to assemble something of an "ultimate tiara collection" of your own, consisting of 20 tiaras. The categories were pulled from those reader requests, plus impressions based on famous large tiara collections and general tiara variety.

Here is your collection in full:

Diamond Fringe: Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

Big Gun: The Braganza Tiara
Aquamarine: The Hesse Aquamarine Tiara
Ruby: The Danish Ruby Parure Tiara
Emerald: The Duchess of Angoulême's Emerald Tiara

Pearl Drop and Pearl: The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, The Ancona Tiara

Sapphire: The Dutch Sapphire Tiara

Amethyst and Turquoise: Queen Mary's Amethyst Tiara, The Persian Turquoise Tiara

Diamond Floral (Nature) Motif: The Floral Aigrette Tiara

Convertible: The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

 Small: The Dutch Diamond Bandeau

Diamond Other Motif and Diamond Wildcard: The Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara, The Fife Tiara

Other Material: The Cameo Tiara

Modern: The Midnight Tiara

Wildcards: The Poltimore Tiara, Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara, Queen Victoria's Sapphire Coronet

The category names above are links to each winner announcement, each post containing links to the winning tiara(s), runners up, and to the voting post for that category.

And that's it! My thanks to those that have played along in the spirit in which this was intended: for a simple bit of fun, where who wins and who doesn't isn't really the point. Now, if you've been playing along, allow me to ask:

What's in your personal ultimate collection?

Photos: Getty Images/Corbis/Sotheby's/Royal Household/Scanpix

Readers' Ultimate Tiaras: Your Last Vote Winners!

For the final vote in our little tiara fest, I asked you to pick three tiaras the ultimate collection couldn't live without. The results? Well, some of our permanent bridesmaids finally get to walk down the sparkly aisle:

The Poltimore Tiara and Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara and Queen Victoria's Sapphire Coronet!

Poor Polty took two runner up spots in the diamond other and wildcard categories, and the convertible category; the sapphire was a runner up in the small category and the sapphire category; the emerald nearly stole the emerald competition, but couldn't pull it off. But they've come together to make three last British-flavored entries to your ultimate collection.

And your runners up, for a full list of ten:

4. The Chaumet Blue Enamel Kokoshnik, a near miss from the unusual materials category.

5. The Diamond Daisy Tiara, one last chance for a Norwegian entry and a smaller entry.

6. The Cut Steel Tiara, another unusual material near miss.

7. The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure Tiara, with a delectable parure to match.

8. Queen Sophie's Diamond Tiara, another big gun runner up.

9. The Baden Fringe Tiara, a spiky fringe to contrast to the tame one already in your collection.

10. The Portland Sapphire Tiara, because blue seems to have been a bit of a theme here.

Stay tuned - on Friday, we will have a proper wrap up of the whole shebang!

Photos: Getty/Collection/Geoffrey Munn/Royal Court of Norway/Polfoto