The Tiara had it's origins in the laurel
wreath worn by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Although other gemstones were sometimes used, the diamond-studded tiara did not arrive on the scene until diamonds were
discovered in South Africa in the early 18th centuy. This portrait of a young woman is from the Württembergische
Landsmuseum in Stuttgart. |
The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg houses this
4th-century B.C. gold laurel wreath from the ancient Russian site of Kekuvatsky Kurgan. |