Tiaras are awfully old-fashioned. They make one think of royalty and privilege or beauty pageants, proms and Disney princesses. I usually don’t care much for jewellery and definitely don’t want to be associated with any of the abovementioned things, but I still wanted a tiara, because that’s how my mind works. However, I wanted a different tiara, something a bit subversive, something unfit for a beauty queen.

I knew exactly who I wanted to make the tiara, too – Tanel Veenre, who is possibly the only jewellery designer whose work I truly love. But the project didn’t really get going until J took over and commissioned a tiara for my birthday and a matching – but different – one for our daughter. I haven’t been so excited about a material object in years.

My tiara is made of silver (so far, so traditional) and shaped like a flock of sea horses. Some of those are, in fact, actual dried seahorses covered with silver (getting a bit less traditional now). The tiara seems to be adorned with multi-coloured precious stones that are in reality Latin-American beetles. My daughter’s version is a bit less unusual – the seahorses look more cheerful and there are some pretty, colourful stones and crystals to add sparkle.

Being me, I of course wore the tiara the very day I received it – I’m a firm believer in wearing and using things when the excitement is still fresh. It adds to the pleasure. I can confirm that tiaras are perfect for dancing, having some cocktails and getting home around 3am. I felt fabulous and invincible, and that brings me back to the statement in the title.

Wearing a tiara is not about wanting to be a princess or dreaming about a role in a Disney movie, but the idea of it carries a centuries-long aura of something special and precious. And that is certainly how we all need to feel on occasion. I strongly recommend wearing tiaras for health reasons: after proper sleep, exercise and good food, I believe this to be the best thing you can do for yourself. A boost to your mood is guaranteed. Among other things, extremely short Italian men will look at you and exclaim “Mamma mia!” several times in succession.

And yes, when I say ‘everyone’, I mean ‘everyone’. I believe there is too little tiara-wearing going on in general and among men in particular. In the end of the day, the word comes from Persian and, according to Wikipedia, “first denoted the high-peaked head-dresses of Persian kings, which were encircled by ‘diadems'”. Everyone just needs to find a tiara that suits them and wear it with pride. Sea horses optional.

Tiaras and photos by Tanel Veenre.