of Crown jewels are the centerpiece of royal coronation ceremonies, symbolizing centuries of glitz and history of the British monarchy.
Imperial State Crown
The crown was ordered for the coronation of King George VI in 1937. Used for formal events such as the opening of the Houses of Parliament, Queen Elizabeth II wore it after her coronation. The crown features her 2,868 diamonds, 269 pearls, 17 sapphires and 11 emeralds. It weighs 1,060 grams (2.3 pounds) and is 31.5 centimeters (12.4 inches) tall. Her second largest stone cut from her diamond Cullinan, the largest diamond ever mined, adorns the front.
Ruler’s Scepter
The design of the scepter, a bar of gold topped with a sphere, a cross and a dove, symbolizes the Holy Spirit of Christianity. It relates to the pastoral role of the monarch to the people. It weighs 1,150 grams and is 110.2 centimeters long.
scepter of the cross
The scepter represents the worldly power and good rule of the monarch and complements the spiritual power symbolized by the sovereign’s scepter with the cross. It weighs 1,170 grams and is 92.2 centimeters long. The Cullinan I, the world’s largest colorless cut diamond, reigns supreme. Weighing 106 grams, it is known as the ‘first star of Africa’. The weight of diamonds meant that the scepter had to be reinforced in 1910.
Ruler’s Orb
The orb represents the power of the monarch and the Christian world. Gold jewelry is surrounded by bands of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearls, topped with amethysts and crosses. It is 27.5 centimeters tall and weighs 1,320 grams.
golden ampoule
The eagle-shaped vessel contains the consecrated oil used in the coronation ceremony. The eagle head comes off and you can pour the oil into the container. The design is based on the legend that the Virgin Mary appeared to the medieval English saint Thomas Beckett and handed him a golden eagle and oil to anoint the future King of England. It weighs 660 grams and measures 20.7 x 10.4 centimeters.
spurs
Gold, leather, velvet and gold thread are among the oldest pieces of British royal coronation gear. The use of spurs to represent knighthood at coronation dates back to the coronation of Richard I in 1189. Spurs were traditionally fastened to the king’s feet during the coronation ceremony, but were placed on the altar for the queen.
Cullinan Diamond
When it was discovered in South Africa in 1905, it was the largest diamond ever mined, weighing 621 grams in its uncut state. The Transvaal government presented it to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday in 1907 as a sign of reconciliation after the Second Boer War (1899-1902). For eight months, he worked 14 hours a day for his three employees at Ushers of Amsterdam to cut and polish his nine large stones from the original gemstones. When the workers started cutting the diamond, the first blow broke the knife instead of the diamond.
St Edward’s crown
Crown jeweler Robert Viner made it for the coronation of Charles II in 1661. This was after his former medieval crown was dismantled by a rebel army of Parliamentarians in 1649 during the English Civil War. At his coronation he had not worn a crown of solid gold for over 200 years, as the crown would be too heavy. It weighs 2,040 grams and is 30.2 centimeters tall.
coronation ring
The ring dates back to the coronation of William IV in 1831. Queen Victoria did not wear it at her coronation in 1838 because her fingers were too small.
purple estate robes
It took 3,500 hours by 12 seamstresses from the Royal School of Needlework. The robe is made of silk and is embroidered with the monarch’s cipher, ears of wheat, and olive branches.
scone stone
Also known as the “Stone of Destiny”, it is an ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy. A sandstone slab weighs 152 kilograms (335.1 pounds). King Edward I of England seized it in his 1296 and installed it on his throne at Westminster, London. Scottish nationalists stole it from Westminster Abbey in London in 1950 and later reappeared at Arbroath Abbey in Scotland. It was officially returned to Scotland in 1996. The stone leaves Scotland again for the coronation at Westminster Abbey. – AFP
