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The Crown Jewels up close

THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS JEWEL COLLECTION

Discover the world-famous collection of treasures including more than 100 objects and over 23,000 gemstones.

At the heart of the Crown Jewels collection are English Coronation Regalia – the sacred objects used in the coronation ceremony. See them at the Tower of London today.

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The Imperial State Crown

The Imperial State Crown

The magnificent Imperial State Crown is worn by the monarch at the end of the coronation ceremony and at formal occasions like the State Opening of Parliament, reminding us the Crown Jewels is a working collection.  

Detail of pearls, said to have belonged to Queen Elizabeth, on The Imperial State Crown, part of the Coronation Regalia

The Monde and Cross

Set with more than 650 rose and brilliant cut diamonds, the magnificent orb and cross originally adorned Queen Victoria’s State Crown of 1838. Below the monde hang four large pearls said to have once belonged to Queen Elizabeth I.  

Photo of the Imperial State Crown.

The Coronation Ceremony

The Imperial State Crown was first worn by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II when she processed from Westminster Abbey on the day of her Coronation on 2 June 1953. It was originally made for the Coronation of her father, King George VI in 1937.

Close up of Stuart Sapphire

The Jewels in the Crown

The Imperial State Crown contains 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 4 rubies, and 269 pearls, and weighs over a kilogram. 

Some of these gemstones, such as the Black Prince's Ruby have gained fascinating legends.

Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

A 360 degree view of the Imperial State Crown showing St Edward's Sapphire, the Black Prince's Ruby, the Cullinan II diamond and the Stuart Sapphire.

Imperial State Crown - close up of The Black Prince's Ruby

The Black Prince’s Ruby

Set in the front cross of the Imperial State Crown, the Black Prince's Ruby is not actually a ruby, but a semi-precious stone called a balas or spinel. 

According to legend, in 1367, the stone was given to Edward the Black Prince, son of King Edward III, by Pedro ‘’the cruel’’, King of Castile, who took the ruby from a Muslim King of Granada.  

King Henry V is said to have worn the stone set in his helmet at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. 

Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Stuart Sapphire

The Stuart Sapphire

The Stuart Sapphire is set at the back of the Imperial State Crown. The stone may have belonged King Charles I, whose son, James II, is said to have smuggled the jewel out of the country when he was deposed during the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688.

The Stuart Sapphire eventually made its way back to England and was set in state crowns since 1838.

Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Cullinan II diamond

The Cullinan II Diamond

The 317.4 carat Cullinan II diamond is set in the front band of the Imperial State Crown. It was the second largest stone cut from the Cullinan Diamond. At 3,106 carats it was the largest diamond ever found.

The government of the Transvaal, in present day north-eastern South Africa, gave the uncut Cullinan diamond to Edward VII on his 66th birthday in 1907. The gift was intended to symbolise good relations between England and South Africa after the South African war (sometimes called the Anglo-Boer War.)

Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Close of St Edward's Sapphire in Imperial State Crown

St Edward’s Sapphire

According to legend, St Edward’s Sapphire was taken from the ring of Edward the Confessor, when his body was moved to a new shrine in the 12th century.

St Edward was the 11th century king whose crown was said to be used at English coronations before its destruction in 1649. 

Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

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The Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, 1937

Koh-i-Noor

The Koh-i-Noor diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. Probably originating from the Golconda mines in central southern India, the diamond has had a turbulent history. A symbol of conquest, the Koh-i-Noor has had many previous owners, including Mughal Emperors, Shahs of Iran, Emirs of Afghanistan and Sikh Maharajas.

The East India Company took the jewel from deposed Maharaja Duleep Singh in 1849, as a condition of the Treaty of Lahore. The treaty specified that the jewel be surrendered to Queen Victoria. 

The Koh-i-Noor diamond weighs 105.6 carats. It was once much larger but was re-cut in 1852 to improve its brilliance and conform to contemporary European tastes. The Koh-i-Noor was set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1937.

Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

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The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross, made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 and used at every coronation since. Detail showing the monde and cross and the Cullinan I diamond.

Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross was made for the coronation of Charles II in 1661. It has been used at all coronations since.

The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross, made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 and used at every coronation since. Detail showing the monde and cross and the Cullinan I diamond.

Royal Jewels

At the centre of the cross is a large step-cut emerald. Below the cross is an orb formed from a large faceted amethyst set with diamonds, rubies, spinels and emeralds. 

Detail of the Cullinan I diamond in the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross, made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 and used at every coronation since.

The world's largest diamond

In 1910, the Cullinan I diamond was added to the sceptre. Weighing 532.2 carats, it is the largest colourless cut diamond in the world.
Cullinan I is the biggest stone cut from the magnificent Cullinan Diamond. Discovered in South Africa in 1905, it is the largest uncut diamond ever found. 

Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Black and white film of Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation ceremony.

The new Charles III cypher CIIIR above the Jewel House at the Tower of London.

THE CROWN JEWELS AT THE TOWER OF LONDON

The Tower of London and its people have protected royal treasures for more than 700 years. The medieval coronation regalia were kept at Westminster Abbey, but in 1649, after the execution of Charles I, they were brought to the Tower of London and destroyed.

In 1660 Charles II was restored to the throne, and new regalia were made for his coronation in 1661. These have been safeguarded by the Tower of London ever since and remain the heart of the Crown Jewels collection. Items from the Crown Jewels only leave the Tower of London for ceremonies like the State Opening of Parliament, coronations, and royal baptisms.​

The Crown Jewels at the Tower of London have survived many ordeals over the centuries, including the Great Fire of London of 1666, and the outrageous attempt of Captain Blood to steal the regalia in 1671.

Image: Historic Royal Palaces

Visit the Crown Jewels

On display in the Jewel House

Today you can visit the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London and become part of its remarkable history.

Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

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