Harcourt Diamonds | Diamond Heirloom Necklace | Tiara of styled flower ornaments

The Harcourt - Diamond Tiara of styled flower ornaments and large Diamond Riviere with Diamond Pendant
The Harcourt – Diamond Tiara of styled flower ornaments and Diamond Cartier Bracelet , Diamond Flower Brooch

The Harcourt – Diamond Tiara of styled flower ornaments and large Diamond Riviere with Diamond Pendant  the story behind the heirloom necklace…..

Not only Boucheron was a favorite jeweler of Lady Harcourt, some jewels of the collection are made by Cartier, like the bandeau bracelet of Diamonds.

The Harcourt |Olive Leaf Diamond Bandeau Tiara from Boucheron|British Royal Jewel History

For her wedding to the Hon. Alexander Baring, Doris Harcourt wore no diamond tiara. Her silver tissue bridal gown was completed by a full tulle veil held with a fashionable pearl bandeau and orange blossom, perfectly in keeping with 1920s bridal style. But only four months before the wedding, her mother, Mary Ethel, Viscountess Harcourt, commissioned a magnificent diamond bandeau tiara from Boucheron in London. Made in platinum and set with old brilliant, old single and rose-cut diamonds, the jewel centres on a pear-shaped diamond of 3.60 carats. Its scrolls, quatrefoils and stylised olive or laurel leaves form a refined classical wreath design, with the remaining diamonds weighing approximately 85 carats. The tiara descended from Viscountess Harcourt to Doris, later Baroness Ashburton, and remained in the family by descent — one of the great jewels of the Harcourt collection.  boucheron  boucheronbandeau  theharcourtbandeautiara  harcourtfamily  royalprovenance  
tiara royaltiaras
. The Harcourt |Olive wreath Diamond Bandau Tiara from Boucheron|British Royal Jewel History

 The Harcourt |Laurel Leaf Diamond Bandau Tiara from Boucheron|British Royal Jewel History

The Harcourt diamond bandeau tiara was commissioned from Boucheron in London on 18 July 1924, only four months before the marriage of the Hon. Doris Margaret Thérèse Harcourt to the Hon. Alexander Francis St Vincent Baring, later 6th Baron Ashburton.

The jewel was almost certainly intended as a wedding gift from her mother, Mary Ethel, Viscountess Harcourt, née Burns, to her eldest daughter Doris. Although Doris did not wear a diamond tiara for the church ceremony, choosing instead a fashionable pearl bandeau with her tulle veil, this Boucheron diamond bandeau belongs directly to the group of jewels surrounding her marriage.

The tiara is an openwork platinum bandeau, set throughout with old brilliant-cut, old single-cut and rose-cut diamonds. At the centre is a pear-shaped diamond drop, the principal old brilliant-cut diamond weighing 3.60 carats. Around it unfold scrolls, quatrefoils and stylised olive or laurel leaves, gradually increasing in scale towards the centre. The remaining diamonds weigh approximately 85 carats in total.

The tiara measures 48 cm in inner circumference, with a height ranging from 1.0 cm to 4.2 cm, and is preserved with its fitted case by Boucheron, 180 New Bond Street, London. It bears French assay marks and is accompanied by a Boucheron Authenticity Report confirming the commission date of 18 July 1924.

Its provenance remained in the Harcourt and Ashburton family:
Mary Ethel, Viscountess Harcourt, née Burns

to her daughter
Doris Mary Thérèse, Baroness Ashburton, née Harcourt

and thence by descent.

The design reflects the enduring classical taste for wreath jewels. Laurel and olive leaves had long been associated with honour, victory, peace, prosperity and dynastic continuity. In the early twentieth century these antique motifs were transformed into refined platinum and diamond jewels, perfectly suited to the bandeau fashion of the 1920s.

This was also the period when bridal head ornaments often changed from high tiaras to lower bandeaux. Doris Harcourt’s wedding report describes her wearing a pearl bandeau rather than a diamond tiara, but the Boucheron commission shows that a major diamond bandeau had nevertheless been created for her wedding season.

Mary Ethel Burns, Viscountess Harcourt, was one of Boucheron’s most important private clients. Born into the wealthy American Burns and Morgan circle, she inherited not only great fortune but also a remarkable eye for jewels. Her family connections included the Morgan banking dynasty, and her own jewel collection became one of the most spectacular ever created through Boucheron.  boucheron  boucheronbandeau  theharcourtbandeautiara  harcourtfamily  royalprovenance  
tiara royaltiaras
The Harcourt |Olive Diamond Bandau Tiara from Boucheron|British Royal Jewel History

But only four months before the wedding, her mother, Mary Ethel, Viscountess Harcourt, commissioned a magnificent diamond bandeau tiara from Boucheron in London.

Made in platinum and set with old brilliant, old single and rose-cut diamonds, the jewel centres on a pear-shaped diamond of 3.60 carats. Its scrolls, quatrefoils and stylised olive or laurel leaves form a refined classical wreath design, with the remaining diamonds weighing approximately 85 carats. Olive symbolizing peace, prosperity, and fertility.

The tiara descended from Viscountess Harcourt to Doris, later Baroness Ashburton, and remained in the family by descent — one of the great jewels of the Harcourt collection.

The Harcourt |Olive Leaf Diamond Bandeau Tiara from Boucheron|British Royal Jewel History

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