Worst Royal Jewels 2

[Thomas Parkman]

Well, Dear Elspeth, I knew the difference in price between sapphires and rubies. One is outrageous and the other is somewhere outthere beyond Betelgeuse. Of course one must admire your husband for marrying such a clever wife. I think the rubies in both the tiaras above are lovely and, major heresy I know, I think if they just removed those blasted stars and redesigned the Wurtemburg Star Tiara the thing would actually be quite lovely with the kind of antique charm of that era.

As for the Bragation tiara and comb, I go into absolute orbit and start foaming at the mouth, drooling and plotting about how to get into bank vaults. It too would be greatly imporved if the coloured stones in it were either rubies or blue sapphires. The design of the contraption is a masterpiece.

Where is the Noble Ms Lady K with her massive photoshopping genius when you need her??? I shall have to go calm myself down with large doses of cholcolate. Cheers.

 

[Nikki63]

Well Thomas I may not be Lady K, and I'm certain she would do a better job, but I had to take a stab at it.

How about the Wurtemburg sans stars?

Also I tried it with sapphires instead of rubies.

 

[Thomas Parkman]

Wo nderful, wonderful. I think that you have massively improved the tiara, the rubies work superbly. It is now quite wearable without looking in the least bit ridiculous. As much as I love sapphires I must admit that the ruby version is much the stronger of the two. Thank you for your efforts. Now if we can just get somebody to carve up QEII's sapphire goodies and paste them in place of the spinels in the Bragation tiara that would be enough for me to have a spasm of total delight. Cheers.

 

[LadyK]

Have no fear, Thomas- LadyK is here! (da-duh-da-da!)
I have posted pictures of the Bragation tiara with rubies and with sapphires in the photoshopping thread. I think the sapphires look better.

 

[Thomas Parkman]

You are entirely correct, Lady K, although the rubies work well too. It is interesting. The Wurtemburg sans stars works better with the rubies and the Bragation works better with sapphires. Let us prefer the both. If you will send any of them postage paid to me, I will be happy to wear them on my rounds about Columbia in search of chocolate ice cream on sale. Cheeers.

 

[magnik]

No matter if this tiara is with stars Royal Jewels of the World or without them
How about the Wurtemburg sans stars?
because it looks terrible. Maybe if the (golden?) band wouldn't be so big and the frame would be bigger?

 

[jcbcode99]

I love the Wurtenburg without the stars--in fact, they should just be removed and the stars used as brooches or something, but this one ING Arts - Photographs
is lovely just the way it is!

 

[jcbcode99]

Oops she did it again! And by did it again, I mean that Queen Sonja wore that HORRID Xenia/Wonderwoman tiara again.
http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/773...4AD9FDB9CF1938DCDF9EF37AEBD735244BDEF2922E219

Once again, I am reminded:
YouTube - Wonder Woman Opening Theme Season 1

 

[Thomas Parkman]

Well, good people, nothing can fix Sonja. That conglomeration with the cherry cough syrup in gelatin capsules tiara, earings and necklace with center pieces of Grade A, industrial strenght government surplus cough drops makes her look like the Viking eqivalent of the Goddess Hera on one of her bad days, you know, the smile, just as she is waiting for Zeus to come in from his latest bad body escapade and she is getting ready to let him have it with the Olympic frying pan.l

No, No, much as I adore and admire the Noble Lady K, I would agree that this is beyond even her genius. Sonja looks, with that smile like the Great Earth Goddess in the Center of the Earth who has just learned of the human sacrifice of 40 youths and 40 maidens or else she an ancient Queen of Norway who is watching the Royal Navy burn down and lay waste to the coasts of Ireland. Definately a must for the Worst Jewels Thread. And it is now a debate as to who has the Worst Tiara in our Hallowen Tiara Horror Party. MII or this??? Cheers.

 

[Her_Majesty]

Honestly..I'm getting used to this Tiara.
Every time I see it it grows more on me.
Of course (and I really cannot deny it) this Tiara is totally freaky and "Star Wars" like .. but IMO it absolutely matches Queen Sonja's UFO Collection.
SONJA'S UFO COLLECTION
It must be a special passion of the Queen .
As far as I know the Topaz Tiara is the only "golden" Tiara in the Norwegian collection...
I also have to say I like the Topaz Tiara better with the green stones then the red stones... it looks a little little bit better then.
Sonja doesn't wear this Tiara very often (she wore it in Germany together with a red dress to match the German flag; that is black-red-gold)...
well, but I think it would be quite rude of her not to wear it .. since it was a present by her hubby...

 

[HRHAmy]

Mette Marit must be crying about inheriting this one!

 

[Katrianna]

Maybe she can only hope Martha Louise inherits it.

 

[Thomas Parkman]

Well, photoshopers Arise and Get out your cyberspace scissors and paste!!! Hallloween approaches and now is the time. We must choose a cemetery-the Roman catacombs perhaps or the royal burial ground at Frogmore and place in it our favorite royals bedecked with the Worst Tiaras.

Definately Sonja, poor thing, must be there. We can bedeck Albert II of Monaco with the Indian turban horror of Edward VII that I dug up. We must find the ugliest whomever, perhaps the swan in the statue of Dodi and Di to wear the MII poppy horror tiara and on and on it goes. Stick in a few of the ugly rings and necklaces and there you have it. Not to mention some ugly gowns and a few outrageous hats for good measure. We could have a world class Satan's ball. The question then would be whom do we choose, among all these royals to be queen of the Ball??? Cheeers.

 

[Warren]

Before we allow Thomas to distract us from the thread topic could we please limit this discussion to 'Worst Royal Jewels'.

thanks.

 

[Thomas Parkman]

Aws Shucks, Warren, caaan't a man have alittle
FUN???? You knaw I don't mean no HARM.. Besides, where else in the world could you put or have the gall and brazen temerity to wear the horrors we have been bemoaning so loudly and brilliantly??? They are all perfect for a Halloween Midnight Satan's Ball.

Yes, I know, were this the time of good old Harry VIII of happy memory, (what a guest of honor for our Halloween PartY) I would be lucky to be stuck in the Tower awaiting the seperation of my head from the rest of my body. In the time of good Harold Blue Tooth they would perform various forms of human sacrifice and I would doutless be the guest of honor. In the days of the various Northmen etc raiding England they would perform a ritual called, I think, the Sky Eagle ??? or some such on the captured kings of the time. They would carve out the heart and lungs of the vicitim and lay them on the altar in the form of an eagle in a sacrfice to Wotan. One good king of either
Essex or Wessex heard the Angles, Saxons or whatever were on the way and promptly vamoosed off to Rome. They would no doubt reserve such an honor for me. Of course I would be vamoosing off to
ROMe too.

So a Halloween Party with all our worst horrors would not be TOOOOO Bad a violation of Protocol would it. And please whatever you do DO NOT TELLL SHE who must be obeyed about this or I will be in hot hot water and even chocolate ice cream will not assuage the wounds.

If a Halloween Party is not allowed-as it is over and done with anyway- could we at least have a Post Hallloween Tiara Horror Party. Cheers.

 

[jcbcode99]

And, for worst tiara, my vote still goes to the HIDEOUS Westminster pearl contraption tiara---its pretty rough with those spikes. It reminds me of the saying "It's all fun and games til somebody loses an eye" and if one stands too close to the wearer of this tiara, they may lose an eye (or both!!!)


Speaking of Halloween, Thomas, I posted a treat for you in the the "too much" thread---it's your beloved Queen Mary DRIPPING in jewels---

 

[LadyCat]

Greeting fellow jewel lovers (or haters as the case may be). I ran across this over in the 2008 Official Royal Portrait thread. At first I thought is was the Wurttemberg but after looking closer I see that it is not. It is, however, another truly awful star tiara. Can anyone identify the woman in the photograph, the tiara, or give any informaton at all???

Thanks,
Cat
-----

If I would learn to scroll down and read..... In the 2008 official portrait poll I answered my own question regarding the identity of the lady wearing the star tiara.

Quoite: EE. Afghanistan
Picture Link
Source: Corbis

Queen Soraya (November 1899 – April 1968), wife of King Amanullah Khan in a formal portrait from the 1920s. "

 

[jcbcode99]

Lady Kat, welcome to the delightfully sinful worst royal jewels thread--we are a bit gleeful when we find new horrors! Speaking of horrors, the tiara you posted----WHOA. That thing is big. The lower portion could be lovely, and those stars would be better off as brooches. Great pic-thanks for sharing!

 

[Thomas Parkman]

Oh, My God. Just when you thought that they all run outof unsightly horrors and monuments of bad taste and lots of squandered funds and there were not more horrors to be found, somebody digs up this thing. It is really enough to take your breath away. The lady is quite attractive but ye Gods and little Fishes, bless her heart, the poor thing looks like a sales clerk in the Antique Mall on Two Notch Road. Right in there with all the other junk. And oh, those stars, those beastly stars. What ever did people see in them. What a waste of diamonds. Am I missing something or maybe they look better in the flesh than in a photograph???

Of course if this is yet another example of hubbys taste and discernment no wonder he got bumped off, if my memory serves me, sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s. Afghan politics has always been a grim blood sport. Even back to and before Alexander the Great. But what a waste of jewels. Are those emeralds in that chain she is wearing.

But our deepest gratitude Lady Kat. When I saw the Worst Jewels Thread was revived I was almost giddy with glee and joy. Life is good again. Cheers.

 

[LadyCat]

I can't remember if this parure has been posted in this thread before. Personally I'm not a fan of any of it. The tiara is too loopy, the earings too globy and the necklace too boxy. The entire parure is ugly and seems to be a compilation of aquamarine pieces that weren't designed as a set and someone just threw together since the gemstones were the same. It is from the Spanish royal collection and was worn by Ena (pictured).

Cat

 

[jcbcode99]

I have found something I consider to be not terribly attractive--let's see if anyone agrees with me! The only picture I could find is on Magnolia's website--so you need to scroll down (you will enjoy some lovely pieces) but you will find this piece that is worn as both at tiara and a necklace--it is three squares; the center square has a large sapphire in the middle. The two outer squares are open and the whole piece has a deco look to it.
To me, it just looks odd. I say that all Royal Houses have something ugly and this one is the piece in the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg---
Luxembourg2 tiara

 

[LadyK]

I agree- that is definately homely! If I was the Grand Duchess, it wouldn't leave the vault

 

[RubyPrincess168]

It screams "I have some big stones but not enough little stones to make decent pieces of jewelry." or "How quickly can you put something togethor with these?".

 

[jcbcode99]

Ok, so I'm browsing on Magnolia's site and I go to the Princess Lilian site, who by the way has a really interesting life story--do a google search on her--and I see some interesting pieces.
The very first picture is of her in a green dress with an unusual necklace that I just do not think is terribly gorgeous--to be sure there are other pieces certainly less attractive, but the more I see this necklace the more I'm uncertain about it. The tiara, while not my favorite, has a nice history and is certainly more attractive than some of the goodies we've seen on this thread!
lilian

 

[Roslyn]

Well this is a fun thread I've stumbled into! I agree about the odd thing with the big sapphire, but I was also rather taken by the big tiara at the top of the page. First time I looked at it I saw a row of spacemen or robots. They have small heads and large chests with breast-plates, their arms are made of three diamonds and their hands are on their hips. Their legs are long and thin and they are wearing big boots. They have spikey things extending from their calves. And they are wearing large cod-pieces. They look like something from Doctor Who.

 

[jcbcode99]

Roslyn--what a scream your post is! I linked over and you are totally right--it DOES look like spacemen--I shall never look at it the same--not that I ever really loved the piece to begin with--its too big and lacks the proportion of say, the Poltimore or PRincess Paul's of Yugoslavia's tiara--

 

[LadyCat]

I think aquamarines are a bit tricky especially when the stones are so large. My personal favorite when it comes to gems are blue sapphires. I didn't think it was possible to create anything ugly with sapphires, then I stumbled across this tiara. I love the rest of it but the tiara is, well, Gacky (means God-awful and tacky in LadyCat speak)!

Diadem | Lanckoronski Saphire | Schmuck

 

[jcbcode99]

Let's take that thing apart--BELUGHYUCK. That is just wrong to do that to a tiara--but I clicked on one of the links in the page and found the tiara without those spikes--
Chaumet Necklace | Lanckoronski |Saphir Diadem Schmuck
I like it MUCH MUCH better this way.
I know we're in the worst jewels thread--but I really like this necklace. The workmanship on the diamond bows is unbelievable--and the sapphires are such a vivid blue. The stomacher and the brooch are also beautiful.

 

[LadyCat]

Thank you sooooo much jcbcode99! Amazing how quickly they took your advice and took the tiara apart to make something much more pleasing to the eye. I'm sure Thomas Parkman will be thrilled to see someone reworked an ugly tiara and made it worthy!

I must have had a blond moment as I missed the link to the reworked tiara. Now it is a truly lovely parure.

 

[Thomas Parkman]

Well, well, what do we have here. First this Spanish aquamarine horror. Just close your eyes, after going almost blind looking at the piece of slop and think about the gorgeous aquamarine gemstones themselves. They are wonderful. But the arrangement is appalling, a waste, probably put together by some blackmarket jeweler on the cheap who is also a closet republican or even worse a rabid left, left wing socialist. Nothing like bad taste to embarrass the monarchy.

Then we have the sapphire hunk from Luxembourg. It looks like the art deco blob done by somebody in the 20s high on cocaine and was bought at a sale from Target or WallMart. I do not normally care for coubochon jewels, although there are exceptions, but this piece of volcanic detrius just proves my point.

Then to totally prove my point we have the Lakronski parure. The gems, both diamond and sappire are wonderful except for those truly tacky spikes. They look like something growing out of the head of a creature from outer space. But sans spikes the tiara is a marvel, the rest of the parure, particularly the necklace and the stomacher are just delightful. You can clearly see why I just love sapphires. Perhaps we could persuade this family to swap goodies with Queen Elizabeth and thus get rid of her sapphire flop and exchange it for something, sans the awful spikes, that is truly decent. And get somebody to take apart and completely redo that dreadful waste of aquamarines, while they are at it. cheers