Fancy headgear of any kind is often a drained giveaway that the wearer is of some grandness , be it the bride - to - be at a bachelorette party or theQueen of Englandherself . But while you might refer to those ornate accessories ascrownsortiaraswithout give too much thought process to which term is most precise , there are specific differences between the two accessories .

One way to distinguish a crown from a tiara is by looking at who ’s wearing it . Traditionally , only sovereigns don crowns , while other members of theroyal familyand grandeur once in a while wearcoronets , which are fundamentally minor , less elaborate crowns . You do n’t have to be royal to fall apart a tiara , but you do have to be a bride or a married womanhood ( at least if you ’re following tradition ) .

“ The tiara has its roots in classical ancientness and was fancy as an emblem of the exit of innocence to the crowning of love , ” Geoffrey Munn , jewelry expert and author ofTiaras : A History of Splendour , toldTown & Country .

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According toInsider , there is one exception to this principle : If you ’re born a princess , you’re able to wear a tiara when you ’re still individual . Queen Elizabeth II ’s daughter , Princess Anne , for example , woreher mother ’s Cartier Halo   tiara during a trip-up to New Zealand in 1970 , a few years before she was married . Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle , who did n’t hail from royalty , both wear tiara for the first sentence on their wedding daylight .

The designs for tiara and diadem differ , too . As Jewelry Shopping Guideexplains , a crown is always a full roach , while a tiara is sometimes only semi - circular . crown are also unremarkably orotund — and tall — than tiara . And though there are n’t any specific rule about what stone or materials crown and tiara should admit , crowns are often more colored and ostentatious than tiaras . Britain ’s Imperial State Crown , for instance , include sapphire , rubies , emerald , purple velvet , and more .

However , since there is n’t a headdress enforcement team in Britain or anywhere else ( at least not one that we know of ) , there ’s no reason you ca n’t lark a crown during your nextZoomhappy 60 minutes , royal or not .

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