The Crown Jewels

This was certainly one of the highlights of our visit to the UK. The crown jewels are absolutely breathtaking and I feel very lucky to be able to say I have seen both the Cullinan diamonds with my own eyes. They are truly magnificent.

Unfortunately but completely understandably you are not allowed to take any photos of the jewels or the inside of the crown jewels building. I was actually quite amazed that they let so many people in to view the jewels at the same time and in a rather painless way without any hassles from guards, metal detectors and so forth. I for some reason almost expected to be just about "strip searched" before entering the room.

Can you imagine these jewels were kept in Africa. I think you will be held at AK47 gunpoint the entire time you are in the room, with your own guard...

The pictures below are pictures taken of pictures in the guidebook :) 

The Queen's Sovereign Sceptre with cross (1661), has been used at every coronation since it was made for Charles II. It was transformed in 1910 for George V when he added the Cullinan I diamond known as the "First Star of Africa", which his father had been given by the transvaal government. 

At 530.20 carats it still remains the largest colourless cut diamond in the world.

The Queen on her coronation.

Portrait of King Charles II by Michael Wright.

The Imperial State Crown (1937), is the crown the monarch exchanges for the St. Edwards crown at the end of the coronation ceremony. Before the civil war the ancient crown was always kept at Westminster Abbey and the monarch needed another crown to wear when leaving the abbey. 

The state crown has always been permanently set with much larger and usually coloured - jewels. Its name refers to the arches with which this crown is closed, chosen in the 15th century to demonstrate that England was not subject to any other earthly power.

This Imperial state crown is the third replacement crown made since 1660 and is a near replica of Queen Victoria's crown. Although considered one of the newest items in the regalia, it holds some of the most historic jewels in the collection including the Cullinan II weighing in at 317.40 carats.

The crown in total contains:

2868 diamonds

17 Sapphires - including the famous St. Edwards Sapphire and the Stuart Sapphire

11 Emeralds

269 Pearls and

4 rubies, one know as "The Black Prince's Ruby".

St. Edwards Sapphire

According to legend, this tone was originally set in a ring belonging to Edward the Confessor (1042 0 1066). The saintly king gave the ring way when he was approached by a beggar. The ring was later returned to the King by two pilgrims who met St. John the evangelist in Syria. He told them he had received the ring from the King, while disguised as a beggar and asked them to return it with the message that the King would join him in Paradise in six months time.

The Black Prince's Ruby

It turned out that what was originally believed to be a ruby worth in the region of about 10 000 pounds was in actual fact a balas or spinel. According to legend the stone was owned by the Moors in Spain before it came into the hands of Don Pedro the Cruel. 

He gave it to Edward, Prince of Wales (known as the black prince) in 1367, after the prince fought for the King and defeated his rival, Henry the Bastard, at the battle of Najera. It is first recorded in the state crown at the time of James II's coronation in 1685, but does appear to have been shaped and polished much earlier.

The Stuart Sapphire

Mounted on the back of the Imperial State Crown, 1937, is the magnificent Stuart Sapphire. This stone was reputedly smuggled out of the country by James II when he fled to France in 1688 during the Revolution.

After his death it passed on to his son, James Stuart, the "Old Pretender" and then to his grandson Cardinal Henry, Duke of York - brother of "Bonnie Prince", Charles Edward Stuart. It later came into the possession of George IV, when Prince Regent, and was set into Queen Victoria's crown in 1838. The sapphire was moved to the back of the crown in 1909 to accommodate the Cullinan II.

The Cullinan Diamond

When the work day was almost at its end on a day in January 1905, Frederick Wells, the surface manager of the premier mine in the Transvaal colony, was alerted to a shiny object glinting in the steep wall of the mine. Suspecting a practical joker had embedded a piece of glass, he scaled the wall and pulled out an enormous diamond.

The Cullinan Diamond names after Thomas Cullinan, the mines chairman, weighed 3106 carats and caused and international sensation. It was the largest diamond ever found. Though by some to be part of a still larger stone, on account of a smooth cleavage on the one side, rumours abounded of a second half, but none as ever found. 

The Cullinan diamond was initially out on display a the Standard Bank in Johannesburg before being sent to England. As security was an obvious issue, a decoy was sent on a heavily guarded ship while the real diamond was sent, insured, by ordinary parcel post. Both arrived safely.

Once in London buyers were sought for the stone to no avail. In 1907, at the suggestion of General Louis Botha, then Prime Minister of the Transvaal, the diamond was purchased from the Premier Mine Company by the Transvaal government for 150 000 pounds. It was presented to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday, as a token of loyalty and attachment of the people of Transvaal to His Majesty's person and Throne.

The diamond was entrusted to Scotland Yard for safekeeping until negotiations regarding the cutting of the diamond were complete. In 1908 the stone was taken to Amsterdam to be cut by the celebrated firm of Asscher. Prior to the cleaving, a small party, including the manager of the diamond mine and three members of the Asscher family, visited the Jewel house at the Tower of London to look at ways of using the diamond. All agreed that the head of the Sovereign's Sceptre was the most suitable site.

After several practise runs on models, using tools specially made for the task the first blow to cleave the massive stone was struck on 10 February 1908. The steal cleave knife broke on impact. The diamond was successfully split by a second blow. The first two cuts created three stones of which he two biggest were to become the Cullinan I and II.

The cutting and polishing processes conducted by three men working 14 hour days for over eight months produced nine major stones (Cullinan I to IX), 96 small brilliants and 9 carats of unpolished fragments. The cutting of the diamond resulted in a weight loss of 65.25 percent.

Cullinan I & II were formally presented to Edward VII on 21 November 1908 and exhibited at the Tower of London two days later as "The Star of Africa" and "The Second Star of Africa", whilst most of the other stones were given to the Asscher's in return for their services.

Edward VII immediately bought the Cullinan VI from Asscher as a gift for Queen Alexandra and the remaining major stones were bought by the Transvaal Government and subsequently presented to Queen Mary in 1911.

After Edward VII's death in 1910 his son George V, had Cullinan I inserted in the head of the Sovereign Sceptre, as originally intended. The Cullinan II was set in the front band of the Imperial State Crown where is remains in the most recently made version. However both Cullinan I and II could be clipped together and we worn as a large and impressive pendant and were used in this way by both Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary.

Queen Mary wore Cullinan III and IV in her coronation crown in 1911 and thereafter used them hooked together as a pendant. When she accompanied her husband George T to his first State opening of Parliament on 6 February 1911, she withdrew Cullinan I and II from the Jewel house and wore all four together. Cullinan I and II on her garter sash and III and IV as a pendant on a necklace.

Today Cullinan III and IV form part of a magnificent brooch worn by Queen Elizabeth II. Cullinan I and II are part of the crown jewels but III and IV and the remainder of the Cullinan stones belong to the Queen's personal jewellery collection.

All information and pictures regarding the Crown Jewels - care of the Crown Jewels Souvenir Guidebook.