This Bavarian parure is made from rubies, spinels, and diamonds, consisting of a tiara, necklace, pair of earrings, and two cuff style bracelets. Created around 1830 by jeweler Caspar Rielander, King Ludwig I of Bavaria gifted this set to his wife, Therese Charlotte (nee Princess of Saxe-Hildburghausen).
Fun fact: When an 18 year old Therese married crown prince Ludwig of Bavaria in 1810, the wedding was celebrated with the first ever Octoberfest! The official ground of Octoberfest is now also called Theresienwiese.
The parure was passed down through generations until it reached the wife of Bavaria's last crown prince, Rupprecht, the Luxembourg born Antonia. Unfortunately, Antonia and Rupprecht, being opponents of the Nazi regime, were forced to flee to Italy. Antonia and their children were captured and imprisoned in the camps (Rupprecht managed to evade capture). Liberated from Dachau in 1945, the princess vowed never to return to Bavarian soil. Her health having been severely affected by her imprisonment, Antonia died in Switzerland in 1954.
The parure now belongs to the Munich Residenz, the former palace of the Bavarian royal family, and is often displayed.
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