Drawing of the Petit Diamond Tiara
The entire tiara is set with diamonds in a swirling pattern of foliage, and the tiara's reverse bears the hallmark of the Austro-Hungarian jewelry emblem, as well as the mark of the maker, Köchert.
This tiara was a wedding gift from Austrian Emporer and Hungarian king Franz Joseph I to Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria-Teschen in 1903 when she married Prince Elias of Bourbon-Parma. Franz Joseph I was the longest-reigning emperor in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, for about 68 years. Franz Joseph I was loved by his people and named "the country's father". The maker of this crown, Köchert, was one of the most prominent jewelers in Vienna, serving the Habsburg court for four generations of his family.
Maria Anna wearing the petit diamond tiara in her wedding photo as a choker, 1903
Franz Joseph I
Maria Anna recorded this in her jewelry archive: 'An apricot-colored leather box with a built-in crown made by Köchert, which can also be used as a choker. It was given to me as a wedding present by Emperor Franz Joseph." At her wedding in 1903, Maria Anna wore this jewel as a choker.
