The piece was originally made to be topped with sapphires, not pearls, and it can also be worn without any of the topper stones at all.
The Grand Duchess also sometimes wears the choker version of the piece stacked with other necklaces, including a diamond collet necklace, as she did during the 2008 state visit to Sweden.
Though the piece is worn quite close to the neck when it is used as a necklace (as most chokers are), the piece is opened when it is placed on a tiara frame, making it seem much more substantial than it would if it were worn as a closed circlet.
In recent years, Maria Teresa has reserved the choker tiara for her personal use. She’s worn it at state visits, birthday galas, and even the dinner held the night before the wedding of her eldest son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume in 2012.
