The Burmese Ruby was commissioned by QEII in 1973 using stones from the dismantled Nizam of Hyderabad tiara. The Oriental Circlet was commissioned by Prince Consort Albert in 1853. Both were made by Garrard.

Posted by monster_ahhh

29 comments

  1. Wait, which is which? 😅 I like the bottom one in the last picture

  2. Seeing Catherine wear the Oriental Circlet is what got me obsessively learning about and looking at tiaras lately. Never cared about them before.

  3. I’m still salty about the Nizam of Hyderabad so I’m gonna go with the Oriental Circlet

  4. I wouldn’t really classify the Circlet as a ruby piece. More like a diamond tiara with tiny ruby accents. So it’s hard to compare with the in your face rubies on the other.

  5. Hate that these are all robbed from third world countries

  6. I think pic 2 had it

    Camilla really carries off the big tiaras well and the Burmese Ruby looks fantastic on her

    The Oriental Circlet looks wonderful on ER II, especially in that pic

    I don’t think the Princess of Wales carried it off properly – it looked wonky and I don’t think it sits well with flowing hair

  7. I don’t *love* them, but I would choose the Burmese Ruby.

    The Oriental Circlet is too spiky. Lol.

  8. Is the Oriental Circlet the one Catherine wore recently? I really love that one, though someone here pointed out that it looks like a Christmas tiara, and now I can’t unsee Christmas trees and Jesus crosses. Lol. However, the rubies feel kind of out of place to me, and I would like to see it with a lighter-colored stone. I still like that tiara more than the other though because the second one reminds me of a cake and feels way too gaudy for my personal taste.

    Do y’all know any more about the Oriental Circlet? Why was it commissioned and designed? Was it for a particular gift for Victoria for a special occasion, or did he just want to drop a new fancy headpiece for the oohs and ahhs? Lol

  9. This sounds weird, but to me the Burmese Ruby looks gorgeous in photos, but worn… it’s almost too much. The Oriental Circlet looks less stunning in photos but truly fabulous when worn. It looks magical.

  10. I’ll be honest…I think they are both ugly. But the Oriental Circlet is the less ugly of the two. The Burmese Ruby looks like someone mounted smashed strawberries on it instead of rubies.

  11. Both are rather hideous. Kate’s is the least offensive to the eyes out of the two.

  12. For some reason I don’t like the Burmese ruby but I can’t put my finger on why. I love the circlet though and always have, I adore all the tiaras Albert designed for Victoria and hate that several of them have left the family

  13. The Indian Circlet must have a balance issue it’s crooked in so many pictures lol

  14. I love them both but the Burmese tiara really emphasizes the rubies. Harder to wear as others have said, but looks perfect on Camilla – she sets it at more of an angle than QEII used to wear it

  15. The Burmese Ruby Tiara is by far the more dazzling but I don’t care for it for some reason. It is a shame the Oriental Circlet seems difficult to wear.

  18. The Burmese is more rubiriffic, but the Oriental is a better design. I’d love it if it was converted back to the original opals, it would be a lot more versatile.

  20. The Burmese Ruby has such 70s vibes to me. I don’t care for it. It does suit Camilla, but I wish someone would redesign it. Charles has great taste in jewelry and I want him to do it. I love the Oriental Circlet but the way Kate wore it was too casual. It looked like it was flopping around on her head.

  21. Prince Albert’s design of the Oriental Circlet by far. I would love to see the original opal setting. 

  22. I don’t actually like either of them, but the Oriental Circlet seems like it would make the better weapon in a brawl, so let’s go with htat one.

  23. I like them both. Which I like better depends more on the tiara hair for me. The Oriental looked too big and like it was crooked with Kate’s hair down so I didn’t like that. It’s beautiful on the older women though with bigger hair. The Burmese looks a little odd on to me. In pictures the rubies are clearly flowers but on they look like blobs. So I’m going with the Oriental as long as the hair is big or up.

  24. I don’t think the oriental circlet should be a state dinner tiara. It’s too much like a crown for modern times – better suited as a coronation crown for a princess of wales

  25. I LOVE the Circlet tiara. The Burmese Ruby tiara looks like costume jewelry from the huge rubies.

  27. I’m still upset the Nizam of Hyderabad tiara was dismantled.

  29. The Burmese Ruby obviously has more bling so is the more dazzling in that sense, but I prefer the Oriental Circlet. I think the design is more striking and elegant.

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