Paul Heiden
A collector of crowns and tiaras
As a child, I was fascinated with royal regalia - crowns, scepters, and
long flowing robes. I think it's a universal attraction,
because we grow up on fairy tales and rhymes about princesses, kings,
and queens, and some of our earliest memories are of characters wearing
jewel encrusted crowns. Just looking at a crown - or wearing
one especially - can take us back to those magical times and lift our
spirits.
My collection of over 150 crowns and tiaras began back in 1990 when I
was browsing in an antique shop in Newport, Rhode Island. I
fell in love with a magnificent blue and white crown adorned with 1,700
rhinestones that was once used as a prop in the Vienna Opera
House. With that first purchase, I was bitten by the
collecting bug. Today I'm known as the "crown guy" among
local antique dealers, but lately I've done most of my buying online on
eBay, where the entire world is my antique mall. I've met
several other crown collectors online, but no one, so far, has a
collection as extensive as mine.
All of my crowns and tiaras are rhinestone costume pieces with some
dating as far back as the 1920s. Among my favorites is a large
tiara created of unique aurora borealis rhinestones. It's dated
1971, but reminiscent of a style popular in the 1940s. Another
treasure is the huge blue crown that I found in a Mardi Gras supply
store in St. Louis. Of course, I prize my very first crown and
I'd never want to sell it. Along with the crowns and tiaras, I
also have a small collection of crown pins, scepters, and orbs, all
with sparkling rhinestones.
I thoroughly enjoy my
collection and I love it when other people do,
too. It's amazing to watch friends try on the crowns and see the
transformation.Their faces just light up with delight and they
carry themselves like princes and princesses at court. I believe
we're all royalty deep inside, and when we tap into that, we can feel
good about ourselves. That's why I always say, "You're never
fully dressed without a crown, or at least a tiara."
Paul Heiden is the owner of Crown Florist, providing custom floral
design services specifically for weddings and special events.