Shiny

Preeeeeeetty

The tiara of Maria Therese is one of the only remaining crown jewels of France that was never altered in any way. Due to France's turbulent history, most of its jewels were stolen or sold off, and although some have made their way back, many were unfortunately messed with in the interim.

This beautiful tiara has over a thousand diamonds set in silver, and over 40 of France's best emeralds set in gold. There's over 79 carats of emeralds set in that thing!

I mean seriously, dang.

Maria Therese was the only member of the immediate royal family to survive the French Revolution (you know the one - guillotines all around! Guillotines for everybody except Maria Therese). After The Terror was over she married her cousin (yeahhhhh) and was Queen of France for 20 minutes between her uncle signing papers to abdicate the throne and her husband also signing papers to abdicate the throne. Everybody abdicate! Quickly, quickly!

As you can see, this is a lady that knows jewelry.

When she left for exile in Britain, she delivered the tiara to the French treasury. But stuff happened, as it is wont to do, and the tiara went on many adventures before just recently being sold back to the Louvre. It's finally home in France, where it belongs.