by Rui Galopim de Carvalho
The Royal Treasure Museum, in Lisbon, Portugal, hosts the second edition of TREASURES, the award-winning international colloquium, now under the theme CROWNS and TIARAS, from 13-14 November, 2026, an event that merges jewellery, gemstone and art history learning with the world famous Portuguese hospitality and gastronomy.
The decision to organize this second edition was taken by the museum after the very successful first edition hosted in 2024 under the theme Royal Gems & Jewellery, with speakers and participants from different parts of the globe that gave such positive feedback that was not unheard by the organizers. In fact, it was decided that TREASURES would become a bi-annual international colloquium, held every two years at this cutting-edge museum that opened in Lisbon in 2022. With already several international awards, as International Museum of the Year in Italy (ACTA24), the Royal Treasure Museum as being consolidating rapidly as one of the main reference museums in Portugal and building its reputation as a world renowned royal collection.
In the second edition, the participating delegates will enjoy two full days of keynote addresses and discussion panels offered by research fellows, history, jewellery and gem experts from major world museums, collections and institutes where royal and imperial crowns, diamond tiaras, and gem-set hat and hair jewels are the protagonists. As a plus, delegates will have, at all times during the proceedings, exclusive access to the Portuguese Royal collections that will be closed to the public.
In the vast list of speakers and panelists, the event will have, again, speakers from all over the world, namely, Maurício Vicente Ferreira Júnior (Director, Imperial Museum, Brazil) with a talk on the Imperial Crowns of Brazil, Hugo Miguel Crespo (University of Lisbon, Portugal) on Mughal Head Ornaments, Kazumi Arikawa and Odile Emanuelli (Albion Art Institute, Japan) introducing the tiaras in the Albion Art Collection, Albert Gilg (Technische Universität München, Germany) on three highly important medieval crowns, Akitsugu Sato (Research Collection Manager, SSEF – Swiss Gemological Institute) on the head ornaments that have been studied at the gemmological laboratory of SSEF, Miguel Cabral Moncada (Cabral Moncada Leilões, Portugal) on the auction house’s perspective on the international trade of historical tiaras, Linda Borsch and Matthew Cumbie (Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA) on the conservation project on the famous Crown of the Andes currently at the MET in New York city, Teresa Maranhas (Ajuda Nacional Palace, Portugal) on the tiara of queen consort of Portugal Maria Pia de Savoy, Miguel Metello de Seixas (Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, NOVA) on the heraldic meaning of crowns, Cristina Filipe (CITAR – Universidade Católica do Porto, Portugal) on the head ornaments in Contemporary Art Jewellery, Suzanne van Leewwen and Ellen van Bork (Rijksmuseum, Netherlands) on the recovery of a 17th century hat ornament at the Rijksmuseum, Eduardo Alves Marques (Researcher, Palácio Nacional da Ajuda , Portugal) on the tiaras of queen Amelie d’Orleans e Bragança of Portugal and Gabrielle de Montmorin (Historian and Journalist, France) on the crowns and tiaras of present day royalty and noble houses. The master of ceremonies will be Rui Galopim de Carvalho, that also served in this function on the first editon.
In the opening ceremony of this cultural event that just received the High Patronage of his Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic, José Alberto Ribeiro, Director of Ajuda National Palace, and Nuno Vale, Executive Director of the Royal Treasure Museum, Portugal), will welcome Bénédicte Epinay, President of ECCIA – European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance and also the Managing Director of the Tourism of Lisbon. It will be also an honour and a privilege to have Her Highness, the Lady Infanta D. Maria Francisca de Bragança, Duchess of Coimbra, in the opening ceremony in representation of the Royal House of Portugal. The 200th years of the exequys of king D. João VI, of the Bragança Dynasty, will be celebrated during the colloquium, notably with a highlight on the Royal Crown that was made in Brazil for his acclamation as sovereign of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves in 1818.
The famous Portuguese hospitality that was experienced by both the speakers and participants on the first TREASURES in 2024 can be expected again in this new venture, not only in the local gastronomy served in both the coffee and lunch breaks but also in the Gala Dinner, that was one of the highlights of the first edition at the Royal Palace, with a small orchestra playing Portuguese classic music composers. This year, the performers and repertoire of the exclusive musical moment will be revealed closer to the date.
Another highlight of TREASURES are the guided tours, not only those that are pre-arranged touristic experiences offered by a partner of the organization, but also the special gem and jewellery museum tours, guided by Rui Galopim de Carvalho at the Museu de São Roque (18th century hardstones and gem-set sacred art), Museu do Oriente (exploring the presence of Portugal in Asia through jewelry and objets d’art) and the renovated Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (jewellery of René Lalique, Quianlong period vases, 18th century French goldsmithing). Although the post-colloquium tour is already sold out, at the time of writing, there were still a few seats left on the pre-colloquium.
If you have an interest in antique jewellery, in the history of the use of gemstones, in hat and head ornaments, in royal crowns and tiaras, in gemmology and art history, and why not in enjoyng great food and cultural entertainment along with international colleagues and conaisseurs, it may be worth to check the program of this international at the Royal Treasure Museum, Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, in Lisboa, Portugal, from 13-14 November 2026.
All available information also available at https://www.treasures-international-colloquium.com
Agenda – TREASURES 2026
Pre-Colloquium – Nov 12 (SOLD OUT)
Lisbon Gem & Jewellery Tour with Rui Galopim de Carvalho
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Museu de S. Roque, Museu do Oriente
Welcome Drink seguido de visita privada ao MTR com apontamento musical
Post-Colloquium – Nov 15 (SOLD OUT)
Lisbon Gem & Jewellery Tour with Rui Galopim de Carvalho
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Museu de S. Roque, Museu do Oriente
Welcome Drink seguido de visita privada ao MTR com apontamento musical
COLLOQUIUM DAY 1 – NOV 13
9:00 – 16:30
OPENING CEREMONY
Bénédicte Epinay, President ECCIA (European Cultural and Alliance)
António Valle, Managing Director Turismo de Lisboa
Special Guest
H.H. D. Maria Francisca de Bragança, Duchess of Coimbra
Hosts
Nuno Vale, Director Museu do Tesouro Real
José Alberto Ribeiro, Director Palácio Nacional da Ajuda
The Royal Crown of John VI of Portugal
The Imperial Crowns of Brazil
Maurício Vicente Ferreira Júnior, Museu Imperial, Brazil
Crowns and Turban Jewels in Mughal India
Hugo Miguel Crespo, Centre for History, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Human and Divine: Tiaras and Crowns from the Albion Art Collection
Kasumi Arikawa and Odile Emanuelli, Albion Art Institute, Japan
Gemstones in Medieval Crowns
Albert Gilg, Technische Universität München, Germany
PANNEL: Cultural Heritage in the Jewellery Industry Today
Famed. Lost. Rediscovered. Jewels of the Habsburg Court Beyond Splendour and Sparkle
Beatrice Austerlitz, A. E. Köchert, Austria
Gala Dinner (19:00)
COLLOQUIUM DAY 2 – Nov 14
10:00 – 18:00
Conservation of The Crown of the Andes
Linda Borsch, Matthew Cumbie, Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA
The Star Tiara of Queen Maria Pia of Portugal: A Constellation of Diamonds
Teresa Maranhas, Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, Portugal
PANNEL – Crowns and Tiaras as Symbols
Examination of Historical Tiaras: Perspectives from a Gemmological Laboratory
Akitsugo Sato, SSEF, Switzerland
Fit for a Crown: a Detailed Look at a 17th Century Aigrette
Suzanne van Leewwen and Ellen van Bork, Curator, Rijksmuseum, Netherlands
PANNEL – Royal Families, Monarque’s and Crowns
The Diamond Tiara of Queen Amélie d’Orléans and Braganza
Eduardo Alves Marques, Research Fellow, Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, Portugal
About the author:
Rui Galopim de Carvalho is a renowned independent Gem Education Consultant, author, luxury industry training expert and popular international lecturer on gemmology and on the history of gem materials. During his 30 year experience as a gemmologist, Rui has studied important collections in both public and private museums, notably the Portuguese Crown Jewels.
He was on the organizing team of the first edition of Treasure, serving as well as Master of Ceremonies, roles that he honorably embraces again for the second edition.
Rui Galopim de Carvalho can be reached through his website:
Guest articles by Rui Galopim de Carvalho:
https://gem-spectrum.com/category/rui-galopim-de-carvalho
