#9 (Princess Stephanie’s Chaumet Emerald Moment)

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, with the Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess, host a state banquet for President Pavel of the Czech Republic and Mrs. Pavlova at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg on February 29, 2024 (Maison du Grand-Duc/Sophie Margue)

We should all have known that change was coming soon to Luxembourg when Princess Stéphanie pulled off a special royal tiara debut back in February. The ninth spot on my countdown of the best royal jewelry moments of the year goes to Stéphanie’s very first appearance in the family’s exquisite emerald tiara.

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg joined his parents, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, as they hosted a state banquet for the President of the Czech Republic at the Grand Ducal Palace on February 29.

For the gala dinner, Princess Stéphanie wore a green velvet dress with some fabulous emeralds from the family vaults, including a special tiara that has been worn by four generations of the grand ducal family.

Stéphanie sparkled in the Chaumet Emerald Tiara, an Art Deco masterpiece that features an enormous egg-shaped cabochon emerald as its centerpiece. The jewel looks sold from a distance, but up close, you can see that the diamond form an intricate pattern typical of designs from the era.

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg visit the theater during Juliana’s visit to Luxembourg, June 1951 (J.D. Noske/Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons)

The first member of the family to be photographed in the tiara was Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, who reigned from 1919 to 1964. In this portrait, taken during a state visit from Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, Charlotte wears the tiara with additional diamond pieces.

Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg and King Olav V of Norway attend a state banquet at the Royal Palace in Oslo on May 2, 1990 (Bjørn Sigurdsøn/NTB/Alamy)

Charlotte’s daughter-in-law, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte, was also a great fan of the tiara. She often paired it with other emerald and diamond pieces from the vaults, as well as emeralds that she had inherited from her mother and grandmother, Queen Astrid of Belgium and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden.

The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg attends the Nobel Prize banquet in Stockholm on December 10, 2011 (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa has been the primary wearer of the tiara and the family emeralds since her husband’s accession almost a quarter of a century ago. She has also loaned it to her daughter, Princess Alexandra, who wore it for the New Year’s gala in 2023.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s decision to loan the emerald tiara to Princess Stéphanie came just a few months before the wheels of transition began to turn in Luxembourg. In October, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume took on the role of Lieutenant Representative, which allows him to perform some of his father’s royal duties. And this week, Grand Duke Henri made the official announcement that he will abdicate on October 3, 2025, handing over the reigns of the grand duchy fully to his son and daughter-in-law. By this time next year, Stéphanie will be the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, and she’ll have full access to the family’s fabulous jewelry collection.

Number eight on our countdown of the best royal jewels of 2025 will be revealed here on Saturday morning. Stay tuned for more fabulous moments from this year’s bejeweled events!

#9 (Princess Stephanie’s Chaumet Emerald Moment)

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