Diamond Tiara, Circa 1880 | 鑽石冠冕, 約1880年

Since ancient times, there was always a desire for people to adorn their head – from humble materials such as flowers and leaves made as wreaths for a loved one, to precious metals and magnificent gems that graced the coronation of kings and queens. According to Pliny the Elder in his book of The Natural History (AD 77), Dionysus, the God of Wine, was the first to invent the diadem: the emblem of royalty. Ancient civilizations often treated the diadem as a symbol of rank and honour. Ceremonial wreaths were given to the winners in competitions.

The oldest jewellery design study in Chaumet’s archives, famed as the official jeweler to Napoleon I and Empress Josephine, is also an 18^th century tiara in the style of French Neoclassicism, celebrating the flora and fauna of four seasons. Over time the tiara gradually weaved a strong association with the symbol of romance. The 18^th century painting by Jean-Baptiste Greuze depicts a Roman maiden kneeled under Cupid, the God of desire and affection. In return she receives a floral diadem that symbolizes the crowning of love. The diamond tiara of this lot is highlighted with fleur de lys motifs, a symbol that has been associated with various European heraldry; notably with the French nobility.

自古以來，人類一直對配戴頭飾心懷嚮往。人們用平凡的花草綠葉為摯愛編織花環，或採用稀有金屬和瑰麗寶石製作皇冠，為帝后加冕。根據老普林尼（Pliny the Elder）的曠世名著《博物志》（公元77年作）所述，酒神狄俄尼索斯發明了皇冠，作為皇族的象徵。古人視皇冠為權力和地位的象徵，而在比賽中勝出的選手亦會獲授花冠，代表勝利者的榮譽。尚美是拿破崙一世及皇后約瑟芬的御用珠寶商，根據品牌的檔案資料，尚美現存年代最久遠的首飾設計草圖是一頂十八世紀法國新古典主義風格皇冠，其設計展現動植物世界在四季裡的不同風采。隨著時間流逝，皇冠與「浪漫」亦逐漸有連繫。在十八世紀一幅讓・巴蒂斯特・格勒茲的名畫中，一位羅馬少女在愛神丘比特跟前跪下，她獲贈一頂花冠，象徵獲得愛的祝福。這頂鑽石頭冠飾百合花飾圖案（fleur de lys），此圖案是皇族的象徵，為許多歐洲紋章中的常見圖騰，其中以法國王室紋章為甚。