Tiara (Hardcover) by Diana Scarisbrick "The empress, attired in a white and silver dress, stands beside the imperial crown and wears a parure of diamonds comprising tiara, comb, girandole (three-drop)..."

Book Description
The tiara has played a glittering role in the lives of the elegant and extravagant—from the doe-eyed Audrey Hepburn in the film classic Roman Holiday to generations of England's royal family—representing the height of sophisticated glamour. Worn for centuries by nobility and high society, tiaras are enjoying renewed popularity among today's movie stars and modern brides. Created in conjunction with an exhibition of tiaras at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, this magnificent volume showcases more than 75 of the world's most exquisite tiaras adorned with everything from delicate feathers to ornately decorated, gold fleur-di-lis scrollwork set in diamonds, pearls, and sapphires. An essay by Diana Scarisbrick, curator of the exhibition, traces the tiara's history, and dozens of photographs show tiaras worn by Russian princesses, British royalty, American socialites, and many others. Taking a lighter, popular culture approach to a traditionally high fashion subject, Tiara will delight aficionados as well as those less familiar with the tiara's artistry, who will be astonished by the array of styles, shapes, and showstoppers from around the world.

About the Author
Diana Scarisbrick the curator of the Spring 2000 exhibition Crowning Glories: Two Centuries of Tiaras at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. An art historian specializing in the history of jewelry and cameo cutting, she is the author of four books on historic and fine jewelry. She lives in London.

Book Description
A sumptuous selection of jewelry made to adorn the head - tiaras, aigrettes and bandeaux. Emblems of success and happiness, tiaras are some of the most beautifully crafted jewelry pieces of the past two centuries. The House of Chaumet has continuously excelled in this art, from the papal tiara offered by Napoleon to Pius VII, to the hundreds of hair adornments created over the last decades, always reflecting the period's most formidable fashions and decorative arts. An exquisite selection from unknown Chaumet archives representing the most aesthetic portraits of head jewelry, the book is an inspiring look at Chaumet's wondrous adornments. The author traces the evolution of these jewels from the 18th century to present, featuring the outstanding personalities for whom they were made and the great events at which they were worn.

About the Author
Diana Scarisbrick is an expert on the history of fine jewelry and precious gems. Her articles appear regularly in international publications and she has contributed to numerous exhibition catalogues in the United Kingdom, France, Sweden and the United States. She curated the exhibition Crowning Glories: Two Centuries Of Tiaras at the museum of fine arts, Boston, in 2000 and was the author of the catalogue, Tiara.