Miss Universe is an annual international Beauty pageant run by Miss Universe Organisation, and the most important element of the event is the crown which has seen various changes in these years. It has changed 10 times over the course of its 65-year history. So, here we present to you the glimpse of every crown in brief.
The Romanov Imperial nuptial crown (1952-1953)
It was the first crown and previously owned by the Russian czar. It was used when Armi Kuusela of Finland won. It is believed to be made with approximately 1,535 flawless diamonds and was insured for $500,000. Ironically, a nuptial crown was used to honour a "Miss."
The Christiane Martel Crown/ Metallic Bronze Crown (1953-1954)
The Miss Universe crown was replaced by a metallic bronze one in 1953. France’s Christiane Martel was the first and the only winner to wear this design. It is probably the most unusual of all the crowns because it featured a very solid design and did not have any crystals or Rhine - stones unlike the other crowns.
Star of the Universe (1954-1960)
Star of the universe became the next Miss Universe Crown and it was named as such because of the star shape at the top of the crown. It consisted of approximately of 1,000 oriented cultured and black pearls set in solid gold and platinum with a weight of 1.25 pounds. It is said to be valued at $500,000.
The 10th Anniversary Crown/ The Rhinestone Crown (1961-1963)
In 1961, the Miss Universe Organisation wanted to have a special crown to commemorate its 10th anniversary. Marlene Schmidt of Germany won this crown for the first time and her successor Norma Nolan of Argentina were the only two winners who wore the Rhinestone crown.
The Sarah Coventry Crown (1963-1973)
The year 1963 heralded in the pageant’s most famous crown, responsible for making the new rhinestone Miss Universe crown which featured a female figure (holding a sceptre) at its centre place. It was known as The Lady or The Queen’s Crown. Ieda Maria Vargas of Brazil, Miss Universe 1963, had the privilege of being the first winner to use this crown.
The Chandelier Crown (1973-2001)
The design was slightly modified in Sarah Coventry Crown in the year 1973 for the wearer's ease. This crown was used until 2001, when it was replaced due to a sponsorship deal, thus ending the tradition. The last winner to wear The Chandelier Crown was Miss Universe 2001, Denise Quiñones of Puerto Rico.
The Mikimoto Crown (2001-2007)
It was named as Mikimoto as it was designed by an official jewellery sponsor of the Miss Universe organisation. The crown depicted a rising phoenix, signifying status, power and beauty, as stipulated in their sponsorship deal. The crown has 500 diamonds of almost 30 carats (6.0 g), 120 South Sea and Akoya pearls, ranging in size from 3 to 18 mm diameter and is valued at $250,000. The Crown was designed for the pageant on Mikimoto Pearl Island in Japan with the Mikimoto crown and tiara being first used for Miss Universe 2002. Several months after being crowned with the new Mikimoto crown, Federova became the first Miss Universe titleholder to be dethroned.
CAO Fine Jewelry Crown (2007-2008)
Miss Universe 2008, Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, became the only winner to ever wear the crown designed by CAO Fine Jewellery of Vietnam. The estimated value of this crown was $120,000 and was made of 18- carat white and yellow gold having more than 1,000 precious stones. White, light pink and cognac were the main hues in this crown which represented inspiration and feeling.
Peace Crown by Diamond Nexus Labs (2009-2013)
From 2009–2013, Peace crown was used which was made by Diamond Nexus Labs. Miss Universe 2009, Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela, was the first to wear this crown. The pageant powerhouse produced 2 winners in a span of 5 years (2009-2013) when this crown was being used. It was promoted as an eco-friendly crown because the stones were all synthetic.
The DIC Crown (2013-2016)
Known as the most iconic Miss Universe crown till date, The DIC crown is made by Diamond International Corporation (DIC), estimated to be worth $300,000. Paulina Vega of Colombia was the first to wear this crown in 2014.The Philippines' very own Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach, became the second titleholder to wear this crown.
In 2017, Mikimoto crown made a comeback as Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters wore the crown at the coronation night. The crown was last used in 2007 by Japan's Riyo Mori. It was first worn in 2002 when Oxana Federova of Russia was crowned. Next year, in 2018 as well, Catriona Gray of Philippines was seen wearing the same crown.
The Mouawad Crown (2019 - 2021)
Arguably one of the smallest crowns used in the pageant, this tiara is valued at $5 million and is called the “Power of Unity” crown. It is first used in 2019 and was created by the Lebanese/ Thai jewelry brand Mouawad.
Force for Good Crown (2022 - Till now)
Miss Universe organization, under the new leadership of JKN Global Group, held the event to unveil the new crown on 19th December 2022 at True Icon Hall (Icon Siam) in Bangkok, Thailand. The crown ‘Force for Good’ is also made by Mouawad. The 12th crown of the Miss Universe pageant and the second crown from the world-renowned jeweler reflects the belief of the Miss Universe organization that the future of the world will be shaped by women who are ready to push all the limits of what is possible and by talented women from around the world who encourages positive changes.
