The British Crown Jewels
Considered the most valuable jewelery collection in the world, the British Crown Jewels have it all: beauty, luxury and history. In this post we explain which are the most important and why they have so much value.
Let's start with a brief definition: all those objects of gold, silver and precious stones that belong to the different royal houses are considered Crown Jewels. These are usually crowns, scepters, swords, insignia, diamonds, tiaras, and rings that are passed down from monarch to monarch.
In this case, the British royal house has invaluable pieces in its jewelery store to celebrate different events and anniversaries. Its most important components are the royal and imperial crowns of England, Scotland and India, along with other elements such as orbs, swords and scepters. All this is guarded since the s. XIV in the Tower of London.
The three most important crowns
Crown of Saint Edward
The Crown of Saint Edward is the most important component of the collection, it has been used for the coronation of monarchs in the United Kingdom. The current piece was made for the coronation of Charles II since the original was destroyed during the Commonwealth of England period.
It weighs two kilos, is made of gold and is encrusted with precious and semi-precious stones such as tourmalines, sapphires, amethysts and pearls.
Imperial State Crown
This crown was made in 1838 for the coronation of Queen Victoria, great-great-grandmother of the current Queen Elizabeth II. From then on it began to be used replacing the Crown of San Eduardo, which is heavier and is only used at the time when the monarch accesses the throne during the ceremony. In addition, it is also used in the opening ceremonies of the British Parliament.
One of its main jewels is the so-called black prince ruby (actually a large spinel), located on the front. According to legend, this stone is of oriental origin and was taken by Pedro I the Cruel from the Moorish king of Granada. Finally, it was transferred to England as the booty of Eduardo de Woodstock (Black Prince), after having helped Pedro I in the battle of Nájera.
Queen elizabeth crown
It is the only platinum crown in the British collection. It was made in 1937 for Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of the coronation of her husband George VI. It has the oldest known diamond, the Koh-i-noor, discovered in 1304.
If we look closely, this crown maintains the design of the previous ones: cross-shaped rosettes and fleurs-de-lis, closed with four diadems and an orb.
Other components of the collection
Scepters and Orbs
The monarchy of the United Kingdom has among its insignia two scepters and two orbs. The Scepter of the Cross and the Scepter of the Dove are held by the monarch at the time of being crowned with the crown of Saint Edward. On the other hand, the Sovereign Orb and the Small Orb. The first of them is held by the monarch with his left hand during a part of the coronation ceremony.
Ceremonial swords
There are five of them and their use is ceremonial. They have been used during the coronation of the monarchs of the United Kingdom but at present only the Jeweled Sword of Offering is used. The rest are exposed in front of them during the ceremony: the Sword of the State, of Spiritual Justice, of Temporal Justice and of Mercy.
Other jewels
In addition to the jewels already mentioned, we must not forget the Coronation Ring, the Anointing Spoon and the Armillae (bracelets). There is also a Kokóshnik from Russia and a set of high-value tiaras, among which the Queen's Tiara stands out, one of the most well-known and important pieces in the collection.
Now you know the components of this impressive collection. Remember that if you ever travel to London, you have the option of visiting the Tower of London, where you can see these precious jewels live. See you on the blog!
