Danish Royal Jewels: Queen Margrethe's Naasut Tiara and Parure

Since we have just discussed Queen Margrethe’s Poppies, I suppose now it’s the turn of its close cousin look wise – the Naasut Tiara (also known as the Jubilee Tiara). 

The Naasut Tiara

Queen Margrethe’s already very impressive jewellery collection got a boost in her Jubilee year (Elizabeth II wasn't the only one with a Jubilee last year: Queen Margrethe’s celebrated 40 years on the Throne as well) with the addition of a demi-parure of a tiara and earrings. 

The parure was a gift from Greenland and is made of gold, diamond and rubies (however hard I squinted and magnified the pictures, I could find no trace of the latter anywhere though). The tiara is adorned by flowers and other plants of Greenland; five of the largest flowers can be converted into brooches. The tiara is named Naasut Tiara for a very simple reason: "naasut" means "flowers" in Greenlandic. 

The Naasut Tiara and Earrings

The earrings each consist of two gold bellflowers with four smaller ones hanging on gold threads from the middle. The entire parure cost about 300,000 kroner - roughly, about 40,000 Euros - to make. 

The gold used for the creation of the set came from a mine in South Greenland. Years ago, gold from the mine was used to mind coins commemorating the International Polar Year. Some of the coins remained in National Bank’s vaults so when the idea of a gift to the Queen was first considered, the Bank was contacted with an offer to melt about a kilogram of gold coins to use them for the purpose. 

Queen Margrethe is presented with the parure (left), and trying on the earrings from the set (right)

The first setting wasn't a tiara though: initially, jeweller Nicholas Appel created a beautiful bouquet of flowers. As with the tiara, five of the largest flowers in the bouquet were detachable and could b worn as brooches. Later, with the Queen’s collaboration, the bouquet was transferred into a tiara and a matching pair of earrings. 

Margrethe was presented with the parure by Josef Motzfeldt, the President of the Greenland Parliament, at a ceremony at Amalienborg in late 2012. It came in a beautiful box designed by Ina Rosing in collaboration with Rasmus Fenhann. 

The original bouquet (left), and gold coins melted to create the parure (right)

Perhaps because she had an active role in the design, the Queen appeared to be very happy with the gift, and promptly tried on the earrings during the presentation. 

The début of the tiara took place surprisingly quick; Queen Margrethe wore it for the annual New Year’s Court Banquet at the beginning of January. 

Queen Margrethe wearing the Naasut Tiara and earrings for New Years Banquet in January of 2013

I would lie if I listed this tiara among my favourites but it is not too bad either. I do like the craftsmanship, and the details are really pretty too. What I dislike is the fact it is almost solid gold: the diamonds are very small and the rubies are pretty much invisible (if they exist at all). Besides, I don’t think gold pieces suit Queen Margrethe all that much. 

Now, if Mary or Marie – who both have dark hair – wore the tiara, it could probably look really nice.