The Crown Jewels of the
United Kingdom
The collective term Crown Jewels refers to the regalia and
vestments worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the
coronation ceremony and at various other state functions. These include
the following objects: the crowns, scepters, orbs, swords, rings,
spurs, colobium sindonis, dalmatic, armill, and the royal robe or pall,
as well as several other objects connected with the ceremony itself.
The
oldest set of Crown Jewels, dating from the Anglo-Saxon period,
were lost by John of England near the Wash in 1216. A replacement set
was made shortly afterwards which was later joined by the addition of
Welsh prince Llywelyn's coronet in 1284. This replacement set was
stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1303 a
lthough most, if not
all, were
recovered days later from the window of a London jeweler's shop
(resulting in dire consequences for the shopkeeper).
Oliver Cromwell melted down most of the original Crown Jewels of his
era after the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1649. Upon the
Restoration of Charles II, most of the regalia had to be replaced. The
only pieces to survive from before the Civil War are three swords and a
spoon.
The British Crown Jewels easily constitute the most valuable jewelry
collection in existence. The three most impressive pieces are described
below.
The Scepter with the Cross was
made in 1661, and is so called because it is surmounted by a cross. In
1905, it was redesigned to incorporate the Cullinan I, also known as
the Great Star of Africa, which at over 530 carats (106 g) is the
largest cut diamond in the world. During the coronation, the monarch
bears the Scepter with the Cross in the right hand.
The Sovereign's Orb,
a type of
globus cruciger, is a hollow golden sphere made in 1661. There is a
band of jewels running along the center, and a half-band on the top
hemisphere. Surmounting the orb is a jeweled Cross representing the
Sovereign's role as Defender of the Faith. For a part of the
coronation, it is borne in the Sovereign's left hand.
Of all the Crown Jewels, the most valuable is
the Imperial State Crown,
featured on this magnificent coin. The Crown is generally worn at the
end of a coronation when the new
monarch departs from Westminster Abbey and is not traditionally the
actual
crown used at the moment of coronation. However it was actually worn
during the ceremony by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, both of whom
complained about the weight of the normally-used crown, St. Edward's
Crown.
The Imperial State Crown is of a design similar to St. Edward's Crown;
it includes a base of four crosses pattee alternating with four
fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross.
Inside is a deep purple velvet cap with an ermine border. The Crown
includes an incredible number of precious gems, including 2,868
diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies!
Among these are several world-famous jewels. The cross atop the Crown
is set with a stone known as St. Edward's Sapphire, a sapphire taken
from the ring (or possibly coronet) of Edward the Confessor. The Black
Prince's Ruby is set on the front cross pattee. Furthermore, the famous
Cullinan II Diamond, or Lesser Star of Africa, is set on the front of
the Crown.
The Black Prince's Ruby
The
Black
Prince's Ruby is actually a bead-shaped spinel weighing roughly 170
carats (34 g), that is, the size of a chicken egg! It is one of the
oldest of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, with a known history
dating back to the middle of the 14th century and having been in the
possession of the British kings since it was given in 1367 to its
namesake, Edward of Woodstock (the "Black Prince").
What is a spinel? Until fairly modern times, all red gemstones were
referred to as "rubies". It was only relatively recently that the rarer
spinel has been differentiated from the more common ruby. The two
gemstones can be distinguished on the basis of hardness and density - a
ruby is slightly harder and denser than a spinel. The two stones can
also be told apart by their optical properties: a true ruby is dichroic
while a spinel is singly refractive.
The Cullinan Diamonds
(Stars of
Africa)
The original, intact Cullinan Diamond was found by Frederick Wells,
surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan,
Gauteng, South Africa on June 25 1905. It is the largest rough
gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g). The
stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond
mine.
The stone was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King
Edward VII of Great Britain. However, transport from South Africa to
England posed a bit of a problem with regard to security. Well-known
detectives from London were placed on a steamer ship that was rumored
to carry the stone, but this was a diversionary tactic. The stone on
that ship was a fake, meant to attract those who would be interested in
stealing it. The actual diamond was in fact sent to England in a plain
box via parcel post!
The Cullinan was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of
Amsterdam, and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones and a
number of smaller fragments. The largest polished gem from the stone is
named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.20 carats
(106.04 g) was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985
discovery of the Golden Jubilee diamond (545.67 cts), also from the
Premier mine. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Scepter with
the Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II
or the Lesser Star of Africa, at 317.40 carats (63.48 g), is the third
largest polished diamond in the world and is also part of the British
crown jewels, as it forms a part of the Imperial State Crown. Both gems
are on display at the Tower of London, as parts of the British crown
jewels.
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