What's Better? Compare Crowns And Tantalizing Tiaras

I myself own several crowns and a couple tiaras, they’re not made of gold and precious jewel type ones, as that would be daft and I’d have to be pretty rich to own something so utterly useless to everyday life things! I mean what would you do with a crown of this sort? As an artist in New Zealand I can often get away with wearing this type of headwear but it doesnt mean I don't get some strange looks at times!

What's So Special About Crowns & Tiaras?

Can you wear it to work over your beanie, pop it on the coffee table with a candle in it, or maybe use it as a phone holder and sit it on your desk with a beanie baby in it to prop it up to the right angle, I don’t think so! 

My fancy head gear is more like costume jewellery and I could wear it anytime I wanted, well I could because I’m an artist with a wacky bent on what’s normal but that’s ok in my lifestyle. I still have the tiara I made for my wedding too, I wanted one that wasn’t available, and so I had to make it myself. I got hold of some gold jewellery wired, some red beads and some crystals and I created my fantasy wedding tiara just how I wanted it, and it worked out beautifully.

Two of my other tiaras are made of unusual beads, one in black and one in red; they can be dressed up or down, while the others are the silver type with masses of flashy diamantes and all the glittery stuff. Needless to say they don’t get worn much, as I see them as more ball type attire and I don’t tend to go to many balls these days!

What Is The Difference?

You might have seen these fancy headpieces worn by royals and thought, "What's the difference between a tiara, a diadem, and a crown?" Let's break it down in simpler terms.

What Is A Tiara:

Imagine a tiara as a fancy, sparkly headband that princesses wear. It's light, delicate, and often adorned with jewels. Tiaras sit pretty on top of the head. They are usually worn by queens, princesses, or other royal figures during fancy events like weddings or state dinners. They're like the icing on the cake, adding a touch of elegance and femininity to any outfit.

What Is A Diadem:

Now, picture a diadem as a simple band worn around the head. It's like a less flashy version of a tiara. Diadems have been around since ancient times and were worn by rulers to show their authority. They're not as glitzy as tiaras, often made of plain metal or with minimal decoration. Think of them as understated symbols of power worn by kings and queens.

What Is A Crown:

Lastly, let's talk about crowns. Crowns are the big guns of headwear. They're ornate, majestic, and loaded with symbolism. Crowns are reserved for the highest-ranking royals, like kings and queens, and are worn during important ceremonies like coronations. They're heavy hitters, made of precious metals and adorned with all sorts of jewels and intricate designs. When you see someone wearing a crown, you know they mean business.

In a nutshell, tiaras are the glitzy headbands, diadems are the subtle bands of authority, and crowns are the grand symbols of royal power. Each has its flair and significance, adding a touch of regal charm to any royal affair.

Let's look at Crowns

So what exactly is a crown? A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity; the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death.

Apart from the traditional form as in gold or silver with precious jewels, crowns are also made from other things like flowers, stars, oak leaves (As in Roman type crowns like Caesar wore.) or thorns as in what Christ wore to the cross.

A crown is often an emblem of the monarchy, a monarch's government, or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, particularly in Commonwealth countries, as an abstract name for the monarchy itself, as distinct from the individual who inhabits it.

Costume vs The Real Deal

Earlier on I mentioned costume headgear which is where the headgear isn’t actually real,, Monarchs often have costume versions made up of their real crowns to deter theft of the real ones, although I can see why they do this I don’t get it, why wear it if it’s not real and you have a real version!

Costume crowns like costume jewellery may be worn by actors portraying a monarch, people at costume parties, or ritual "monarchs" such as the king of a Carnival or the birthday person at their party.

What is a Crowning?

The Eastern Orthodox marriage service has a section called the crowning, where the bride and groom are crowned as "king" and "queen" of their future household. In Greek weddings, the crowns are called diadems and are usually made of white flowers, synthetic or real, and adorned with silver or mother of pearl.

They are placed on the heads of the newlyweds and are held together by a ribbon of white silk. They are then kept by the couple as a reminder of their special day. In Slavic weddings, the crowns are usually made of ornate metal, designed to resemble an imperial crown, and are held above the newlyweds heads by their best men.

A parish usually owns one set to use for all the couples that are married there since these are much more expensive than Greek-style crowns.

Birthing And Crowning

Crowning is also part of giving birth, this is a phrase used when a baby's crown or top of the head starts to emerge from the birth canal.

Crowns are also often used as symbols of religious status or veneration, by divinities (or their representation such as a statue) or by their representatives, e.g. the black crown of the Karmapa Lama, sometimes used a model for wider use by devotees.

The Biblical Crown

As I mentioned before a Crown of thorns according to the Bible, was placed on the head of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion and has become a common symbol of martyrdom. Rapper Kanye West raised controversy when he appeared on the February 2006 cover of Rolling Stone magazine wearing a crown of thorns.

So did Madonna when she wore one on the opening night of her World Tour in May 2006.

The Tantalizing Tiara

Then we have Tiara, in modern times, a tiara is generally a semi-circular or circular band, often metal, and decorated with jewels, which is worn as a form of adornment. It is worn by women around their head or on the forehead as a circlet on very formal or high social occasions. Tiaras rather than crowns are frequently used to "crown" the winners of beauty pageants and in western countries, a bride often wears a tiara as part of her bridal gown.

Our very own late Monarch Queen Elizabeth II is said to havehad  the largest and most valuable collection of tiaras in the world, which isn’t surprisingly since most are heirlooms of the British Royal Family from way back.

She was often seen wearing them on state occasions. Her personal collection of tiaras is considered to be priceless.Queen Elizabeth received many of them through inheritance, especially from Queen Alexandra (who was known to love extravagant jewellery and headwear.) as well as gifts from foreign countries.

No doubt the future Queen Catherine will inherit the majority of this collection. She is often seen wearing tiaras at functions and events.