A tiara is a jeweled head ornament that is worn by women at formal occasions. Its origins date back to ancient Greece and Rome, and it became fashionable in Europe during the late 18th century. The basic shape of the modern tiara is a (semi-)circle, usually made of silver, gold, or platinum, and richly decorated with precious stones, pearls, or cameos. Tiaras were extremely popular during the late 19th century and were worn at events where the dress code was white tie. After World War I, wearing a tiara gradually fell out of fashion, except for official occasions at a royal court. However, interest in tiaras has increased again since the beginning of the 21st century.
Tiaras are usually worn by women, and they are often given to a bride on her wedding day. They are also worn by queens, princesses, and members of the aristocracy at glittering occasions such as weddings, white-tie dinners, balls, and occasions of state. Nowadays, tiaras are commonly worn by winners of beauty contests and by girls for various events like galas, and first of all, by brides in the days of their wedding. Tiaras are usually richly decorated with precious stones, pearls, or cameos, often arranged in symmetrical patterns. Common elements in these patterns are arcs, garlands, circles, stars, and stylized flowers or leaves. Occasionally, flowers, ears of corn, dragonflies, or butterflies are depicted more or less true to life by using gemstones in different colors.
The word "tiara" is often used interchangeably with the word "diadem". However, there are very clear distinctions between the two. One of the main points to note is that tiaras are only worn by females, while crowns are bestowed on the heads of both men and women. Unlike a crown, a tiara is semicircular and is worn on the upper part of the head (generally a few centimeters above the forehead), so as to have the focus on the front. Tiaras may be worn by anybody, and are usually worn at events calling for "white tie" or the most formal of evening attire dress codes.
