The tiara gets her visual nature from her shape, both external and internal. The external shape or outline is set by the overal angle created by the shape in relation to how tall the tiara is and how wide across. The internal shape is how the ELEMENTS meet, cross, have stones and other things inside the outlined shape. Thus, two tiaras can have the saem outlines but very different internal shape. It is the wide variations in shae that give the tiara here attractivenss. There are two charactersitics of an ELEMENT that governs how it, and how the tiara looks. Shape and direction. Direction refers to the answer to the question, does the ELEMENT go from the center outward or from the outside in. Shape refers to the shap of the ELEMENT. The terms that refer to shape are.

SCROLLWORK: Curlicues at the end of an ELEMENT

SCROLL: an ELEMENT with SCROLLWORK at both ends

RAY: An ELEMENT that goes out from the center on the BAND and either ends in SCROLLWORK or just merges with another ELEMENT

ANTENNA: a RAY that has neither SCROLLWORK nor joins another ELEMENT. the end of this is free or may have a stone, cluster or flower. It extends past any ELEMENTS running in other directions; either horizontals or sloping. PETAL: A SWEPT ELEMENT that returns to or near to it's origin

BILLOW: an ELEMENT that traces an arc. This kind of ELEMENT can be anywhere and they are often piled upon each other. Named for the cloudlike appearance.

VERTEX: An ELEMENT that goes upward, makes a point and comes back down at about the same angle. this is used to simulate a crown and is often part of the Princess style tiara

SPEARPOINT: the joining between two ELEMENTs that first go away from each other then turn shaprly and come back to forma a point where they meet

LEAF: the shpae that is formed when two ELEMENTs form what would be a SPEARPOINT except that there is no angle, instead, the shap is rouded and gradual and they meet at a point.

SELF ELEMENT: An ELEMENT the describes a complete shpae by itself. These shapes can be geometric (circle, oval or diamond) or design shapes (usually hearts, sometimes stars).

ELEMENT GROUP: The visual image that is formed by two or more ELEMENT's. This can be a specific shape like a heart or an abstract, geometrical shape the name of which would be irrelevent to this discussion (trapezoid, ogive, rhombus etc...,). A sort of sub-total of the ELEMENT NETWORK.

ELEMENT NETWORK: Looking at the tiara as a whole, the image made by the way the ELEMENTS meet, cross, curve or, one might say, "go". The sum total of the way the ELEMENTS fit together.

TIER or TIERED. an overall shape where the tiara rises in a clearly or nearly clearly step pattern. rising then levelling off then rising and so forth.

MEASUREMT of the TIARA: Generallly these dimensions are used; in inches, milimeters or centimeters with one inch being equal to 2.54 centimeters or 25.40 millimeters. HEIGHT. The measure of the highest point. WIDTH: The length from left to right beginning where it starts to rise to where it finishes its fall. LENGTH: from one end of the BAND to the other. for a full-circle BAND this is called CIRCUMFERANCE and is the distance around the BAND. DIAMETER: the widest distance acros using the BAND as the boundaries; this can also be the SPAN.