Sophie Countess of Wessex’s Aquamarine Necklace tiara – one of only 3 in her collection

Worn only by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, this tiara has a striking, modern design. It is not known when the piece was purchased, but it made its debut in 2005 at the enthronement celebrations for Prince Albert II of Monaco.

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Sophie, 55, attended an opera gala on November 19, Monaco’s National Day, wearing the tiara. More recently, Sophie wore the diadem at the wedding of Prince Carl Philip & Princess Sofia of Sweden, in 2015.

At its debut, this was only the second tiara seen on Sophie at that point – the first being her wedding tiara – and there was initially some speculation that her husband, Prince Edward, had some hand in the design.

This would not be beyond the realms of possibility, as he did design her wedding necklace, but it was in fact created by a royal jeweller.

Believed to have been made by Collins and Sons, personal jeweller to the Queen of England, the piece features an oval-cut aquamarine gemstone set into an Art Deco bandeau studded with diamonds.

The piece does double duty, as it can be converted in to a necklace – a feature many tiaras enjoy.

Sophie’s ice blonde hair and cool blue eyes are complemented well by the massive centre stone of this piece, and it is sure to be one she wears for years to come.

Despite being an important member of the Royal Family, Sophie only has one other tiara in her personal collection – the Anthemion, which was made for her wedding.

She also has the Five Aquamarine on loan from the Queen. There is only one other tiara Sophie has been seen in – a floral button tiara worn in 2004, which is widely believed to have been a loan from a jeweller as it has not been seen on Sophie, or any other royal, before or since.

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How many tiaras are there in the royal collection?

There are dozens of priceless tiaras owned by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

Many of the British aristocracy also own tiaras, wearing them at state banquets and on wedding days.

As well as tiaras currently in existence, there are a couple which have been dismantled to make other diadems. This includes The Surrey Fringe and The Nizam of Hyderabad.

Some tiaras have formed part of iconic moments in the history of the Royal Family. The Cartier Halo for instance, was worn by Kate Middleton on her wedding day to Prince William in 2011.

Similarly, the Meander tiara was admired around the world thanks to it being the choice of Zara Phillips for her wedding to Mike Tindall in 2011.

And it is the Lover’s Knot that is most often seen today, as it is a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge.

It was closely associated with Diana, Princess of Wales during her marriage to Prince Charles, so holds special significance for Kate.

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