The Diadem of the Stars ( Portuguese: Diadema das Estrelas) is a Diamond Tiara originally commissioned by Queen Consort

Maria Pia of Savoy Dona Maria Pia (16 October 1847 – 5 July 1911) was by birth an Italian princess of the House of Savoy and was Queen of Portugal as spouse of King Luís I of Portugal. On the day of her baptism, Pope Pius IX, her godfather, gave her a Golde ...

, who had a love for jewellery and fashion. It is a piece of the Portuguese Crown Jewels.

History

The diadem was made in 1863 for the Queen Consort

, wife of King

Luís I of Portugal Dom Luís I (31 October 1838, in Lisbon – 19 October 1889, in Cascais), known as The Popular (Portuguese: O Popular) was a member of the ruling House of Braganza,"While remaining patrilineal dynasts of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha accord ...

. The tiara was fashioned in the workshop of the Portuguese Royal Jeweler, Estêvão de Sousa, in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. The tiara is just a piece of a whole set of jewelry that was commissioned by Maria Pia, which includes the Necklace of the Stars, the counterpart of the diadem.

Details

The Diadem of the Stars was made in the workshop of the Portuguese Royal Jeweler in

. Commissioned in 1863, the tiara took three years before it was completed in 1866. It is fashioned out of gold, silver, and colourless diamonds, with the largest stone in the circlet a yellow diamond called the ''Maria Pia''.

Sources

Jóias da Coroa Portuguesa
{{Portuguese Crown Jewels Portuguese Crown Jewels Individual crowns