The Pearl Sunburst Tiara

The Pearl Sunburst Tiara belonging to the Japanese Imperial family seems to have been made in the 20th century.

The first person to be seen wearing it was the future Empress Michiko when she was still Crown Princess. She also wore a matching brooch and necklace. She wore the tiara during Japan’s state visit to the United States in 1960 and the United States’s state visit to Japan in 1983.

When Michiko became Empress, the Pearl Sunburst Tiara was set aside for pieces reserved for the Empress, and the next wearer would be Michiko’s daughter-in-law, Masako.

Masako tended to wear the Pearl Sunburst tiara for state visits as well, such as the 2014 visit of the Dutch King and Queen.