Iranian Crown Jewels

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Loose Spinels

The gemstone on the left is the world's largest spinel. It is 5.5 cm (2.17 in.) wide and weighs 500 cts.

The gemstone on the right weighs 270 cts. and is the world's fourth larget spinel.

The world's second largest spinel weighing 414 cts. is in the Kremlin museum, and the world's third largest spinel weighing 361 cts. is part of the British crown jewels.

The stone on the right, though smaller, has greater historical significance. It bears a three hundred and fifty year old inscription attributing it to Jehangir, the Mughol Emperor of India. According to legend, in response to criticism for having his name inscribed on the stone, Jehangir stated "This stone shall make my name more famous than the entire dynasty of Tamerlane." His prediction was at least partly correct, as Tamerlane's dynasty died out after 150 years, while Jehangir's name lives on inscribed on a number of gemstones in the Iranian treasury and foreign museums. This particular stone used on an armband for Nader Shah in 1739 AD. The larger stone has a hole in it. According to a diary entry of the court physician to Nasseridin Shah, the King told the physician that the stone once adorned the Golden Calf, and that a diamond later covered the hole. There is no way to confirm Nasseridin's Shah's fanciful description, and the diamond has since fallen off.

 

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Bracelets

Except for spinels, turqouise, emeralds, rubies, pearls and diamonds, it is rare to find other kinds of gemstones in the treasury. These two bracelets are the exception.

The top bracelet is probably of Russian origin. The simple gold band and frame of diamond and pearl highlights the exceptionally clear red garnet stone, weighing 70 cts. In the bracelet below, the center stone is a 35 ct. sapphire. The stones to the left are a 20 ct. tourmaline and an sardonyx, and the stones to the right are a 25 ct. chrysoberyl and an onyx. The stones are framed with diamonds.

 

[cute_girl]

thanx for these wonderful pix,Shah had a golden toilette in the palace,if I can find a pic of it I'll post,the toilette is very gorgous and beautifull

 

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Loose Diamonds

According to accounts, when Nasseridin Shah met Queen Victoria in Windsor Castle in 1873, he had five rows of diamonds and 5 large spinels pinned to his chest. Photographs of Nasseridin Shah, and his successors, show them wearing large diamonds on their chest too. However, as fashions changed, these diamonds were left with the rest of the loose gems in the treasury. In addition to the tens of large diamonds which are individually on display in the treasury, there are thousands of smaller diamonds which are displayed, piled onto 2 trays. Hundreds of these diamonds were selected for the construction of the Empress Farah's crown, but there are so many loose diamonds in the piles that their absence was not apparent to the eye. The diamonds seen in this picture are just a sample of the loose diamonds in the treasury. The tray itself is 20 cm. (8 in.) wide, and the smallest diamond on the tray is 5 cts.

 

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Ruby DaggerNot much is known about this golden dagger, which is encrusted in rubies. The total length of the dagger is 57 cm. (23 in.) and the largest rubies are approximately 10 cts.

 

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Jewelled Flacon

Flacons of this design are visible in Persian miniatures as far back as the 15th century. Flacons like this are also seen in the various miniatures of Fathali Shah, though none look like this particular one. This was not merely a decorative item - flacons like this were actually used in the royal court on an everyday basis. The long neck suggests that this was a wine flacon. While the region of Shiraz was known for its excellent wine, it is doubtful that Fathali Shah would have permitted the consumption of alcohol in the court, as Islam forbids the consumption of spirits. Thus, the flacon could have been used for sherbet drinks. The total height of the flacon is 46 cm. (19 in.) and it is 15.4 cm. (6 in.) wide. Two of the largest emeralds on the flacon are approximately 45 cts. each, and the largest spinel is 35 cts

 

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Dish Cover

Since the royal kitchens were far removed from the royal dining room, dish covers were needed to keep the bowls of food warm, and to make sure no one put poison in the King's food. The particular dish cover seen in this picture is only one of the many jewel-studded dish covers in the treasury. They are all shaped the same, with a broad lip that covered the dish, and a dome-shaped center which acted as a handle. The dish cover is made of solid gold. Eight pearls surrounding a diamond decorate the very top of the dish cover. The rest of item is studded with emeralds, spinels, diamonds and rubies. The diameter of the dish cover is 19 cm. (7.5 in.) and its height is 10 cm. (4 in.) The largest four rubies are 12 cts. each, the largest emerald is 30 cts., and the largest spinel is 25 cts.

 

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The "Iranian Yellows"These African diamonds were acquired by Nasseridin Shah on his third trip to Europe in 1889, and are collectively known as the "Iranian Yellows." There are a number of collections of large diamonds on display in the treasury, however due to security concerns, the largest of the diamonds in the collection are not pictured here. The largest diamond shown here is 135 cts., while the largest loose diamond in this particular collection is 152 cts. Three other diamonds shown here are 120 cts. each.

 

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Diamond & Platinum Necklace

On the occassion of Mohammad Reza Shah's marriage in 1935, a commission of Iranian and French jewellers was bestowed the honor of designing jewellery to mark the auspicious occasion. This platinum and diamond necklace was made for the Queen Mother. There are a total of 469 diamonds on the necklace, including the 9 briolette-cut diamond drops. They range from 10 to 35 cts., and the center diamond is 45 cts.

 

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Loose Indian Diamonds



In total, there are thousands of loose diamonds on display in the treasury. Many of these diamonds were brought from India by Nader Shah. It is assumed that these diamonds were mined during the Mughol dynasty in India. Of the thousands of diamonds, only three have a verifiable history: the Darya-e Noor ("Sea of Light"), the Noor-ol-Ain which in now incorporated in a tiara, and the Taj Mah diamond which is shown here on the lower left. It weighs 115 cts. The other three loose diamonds shown here are 72.5 cts., 54.5 cts., 47.5 cts., and 54.35 cts. The one on the top left was probably cut from an even larger diamond.

 

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Pearl Chest All the pearls are from the Persian Gulf. The chest itself is made of wood, covered with gold foil. The dimensions of the chest are 42 cm. x 32 cm. x 20 cm. (16 x 8 x 13 in.)

 

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Emerald Display Case

This display case contains a number of items, mostly constiting of emeralds. A short sword, called a yataghan is in the center of the lower shelf, which has a handle made of ivory, and a scabbard encrusted with emeralds. It is 73 cm. (2.5 ft.) long and was a gift from Reza Gholi Khan to Nasseridin Mirza, prior to his coronation as Nasseridin Shah.

Above the sword, there are a couple of epaulets which are covered with over 300 diamonds, and large emeralds. They are seen worn by Nasseridin Shah in a portrait photograph which was taken in the Forty Columns (Chehel Sotoon) Palace in Isfahan. There are also a number of pins, brooches and other items of emerald on the lower shelf. The upper shelf contains hunreds of loose emeralds, as well as a panel displaying 13 large emerald rings.

 

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Candlestick holder

There are 2 candlesticks like this in the treasury, each decorated with diamonds, rubies, pearls and emeralds. The large base on the candlestick is due to the fact that they were intended to be placed on the floor, on each side of the Peacock Throne, during formal ceremonies. Each candlestick is 40 cm. (16 in.) tall and weighs 5 kilograms (12 lbs.)

 

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Flat Diamonds

These two flat diamond brooches were probably carved from larger stones, as the French jeweller and traveller Tavernier refers to several large diamonds which cannot be located today.

The brooch on the right can be seen in a photograph of Nasseridin Shah, decorating his hat. It is missing several smaller diamonds. The brooch to the right has a frame similar to that of the Darya-e Noor. The total height of the brooch on the left is 7.5 cm. (3 in.), and the clear flat-cut diamond in the center is approximately 20 cts. The total height of the brooch on the right is 8 cm. (3.1 in.) and the diamond in it weighs 15 cts.

 

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Sapphire & Diamond BroochThis brooch is made of gold, sapphires and diamonds. The large sapphire in the center is approximately 12 cts. The total height of the item is 12 cm. (4.8 in.)

 

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Nader Shah's Sword

This, according to legend, is Nader Shah's "All Conquering Sword" though the inscription on the blade attributes it to Fathali Shah. The sword is not visible in any of the portraits of Fathali Shah. There is however, a mural in the Marble Room of the Golestan Palace which shows Mohammad Shah Qajar, the successor to Fathali Shah, wearing the sword while on horseback.

Both sides of the handle and hilt are covered in diamonds. Only one side of the scabbard is covered with diamonds. The length of the sword is 100 cm. (3.2 ft.) and the largest of the 850 large diamonds on the sword is 20 cts. The reverse side of the sword and scabbard shows a picture of the Shah on the hilt along with a few lines of verse, and the pictures of two of his 50 sons.

 

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Ruby & Turquoise Waterpipe

Smoking the waterpipe, known in Iran as the ghalyan, has a long tradition. Chardin, the French jeweller who visited Safavid-era Persia in the late 17th century, mentions in his travel diary that the tobacco and the water were often scented and flavored with herbs, fruits, and rosewater. The waterpipe is studded with turquoise and rubies. The top of the pipe is enamel, and bears the image of a princess. The total height of the vase-shaped base of the pipe is 27 cm. (11 in.)

 

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Turquoise Swords and Epaulets

High quality turqouise is mined in eastern provinces of Iran, so it would naturally adorn many items in the treasury.

The short sword on the top has a black horn handle. The scabbard is made of purple velvet and is decorated with gold plates, surrounded with rubies and studded with turquoise. It also bears has spinels, diamonds and onyx stones. The total length of the dagger is 61 cm. (2 ft.) It was purchased by Nasseridin Shah from Mohammad Bagher.

The epaulets in the middle are made of wood, covered with red velvet, and gold plates. The calligraphic verse in turquoise states Al-Sultan Ali Ibn Mousa Al-Reza. These epaulets were probably left from the reign of Nasseridin Shah. The steel blade of the long sword on the bottom was probably made in the northeastern regions of Iran around the 17th century. The gold handle is covered with ivory and was also probably made at that time. The scabbard is of gold, encrusted with turquoise, rubies, emeralds and spinels. The total length of the sword is 98 cm. (3.3 ft.)

 

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Turquoise-studded Golden Basin

Iranian turquoise is world-reknowned. According to the diary entry of Tavernier, the French traveller and gemologist who visited Iran in the mid 17th century, "Turquoise can only be found in Iran and is extracted from two mines there. The first mine, known Kohan Sakhreh, (Old Cliff) is located three days to the northwest of Mashhad, near a large city known as Neishapur. The second mine, known as Now Sakhreh (New Cliff) is located five days hence. The stones from Now Sakhreh are of poor quality and light color, so many of them can be bought on the market cheaply. However, the Shah has exclusive rights to the stones extraced from Kohan Sakhreh, and no one else may buy or sell stones from that mine." Even today, the province surrounding Mashhad and Neishapur are the main source of turquoise, and it is still quite difficult to get high quality stones. The stones on this golden basin are of the highest quality. The basin has a diameter of 18.3 cm. (7.2 in.) and a height of 5.5 cm. (2.1 in.) The calligraphic verse on the bottom states, "Al-Sultan Nasseridin Shah Qajar.".

 

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Pearl display case

The pearls in this display case are all from the Persian Gulf. This case is actually one of three display cases dedicated to items made of pearls. In addition to the pearl belts, rosaries, brooches and necklaces, the curtain tassles shown in the top of the picture are also made entirely of hundreds of thousands of tiny stringed pearls and weigh 16 kilograms (36 lbs.) in total. Fathali Shah loved pearls. In some portraits, he is shown literally covered with strings of pearls. He was known to carry a pearl rosary everytime he made a pilgrimage to the holy city of Qom, though he took off all his other jewellery at that time in accordance with tradition.

 

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Nader Shah's Shield

Nader Shah carried this shield into battle during this campaigns in India. It is assumed that the gems were added to it at a later date in his honor. His bow, which is still in the Golestan palace, bears no adornments other than a layer of varnish.

The shield is supposedly made of rhinoceros hide, and has a diameter of 46 cm. (18 in.). It is covered with spinels, emeralds, diamonds, and rubies. Even the edge of the shield, which is not visible in the picture, is studded with emeralds. The center spinel is one of the largest in the world, weighing 225 cts. The four emeralds surrounding the center spinel cover screw holes that attach straps to the back of the shield, allowing the Shah to securely hold it during battle. The largest emerald on the shield weighs 140 cts. Most of the diamonds range from 6 to 8 cts.

 

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Saddle Horn It was often written of Fathali Shah that he treated his horses better than he treated his wives. However, the horses of Persian royalty were often adorned with jewel-studden gear. This saddle horn is studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds. It is 20 cm. (8 in.) high.

 

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Ruby RingsNowdays it is rare to find rubies of such size and quality. These rubies were, without a doubt, once incorporated into other jewellery but were made into rings in the late 19th century. The largest weighs 11 cts., and the smallest weighs 8 cts. In addition to this panel, there is another panel of ruby rings of similar quality in the treasury.

 

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Emerald Beads and Necklace

Fathali Shah is shown in a miniature portrait wearing a broad belt with a number of emerald beads hanging from its length. Though the fate of the belt is now unknown, it appears that the beads on this necklace were the same ones portrayed on the belt. The lenght of this necklace is 10.7 cm. (4.3 in.)

The item in the center was a decoration which was intended to be hung around the neck by a necklace. It is made of three large emeralds, the largest is 80 cts and the smallest is 15 cts., and many diamonds.

 

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Rings and loose stones of emerald

In total, there are thousands of loose emeralds on display. The French jeweller Chardin, who visited Iran during the Safavid era in the mid-17th century, wrote in his travelogue that he often encountered individuals who wore 15 or 16 rings on their hands, often with 5 or 6 rings on a single finger. However, by the time of the Qajar dynasty, rings had fallen from fashion, even for the ladies of the court. This was perhaps due to the long sleeves which became fashionable at the time, and which covered the hands. By the end of the Qajar era, Western fashion had made it mark, and rings such as these were worn once again. Of the thirteen rings on diplay in this panel, the largest is 16 cts., and the smallest is 8 cts. Among the loose emeralds, the largest is 189 cts.

 

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Emerald Brooch and Necklace

The emeralds in these two items are approximately 250 cts. each. The top stone bears an inscription dating it to 1811. It is framed by diamonds and rubies. It is 10 cm. (4 in.) wide. The emerald on the necklace below bears an inscription which dates it to 1811, but may have been inscribed at a later date. The smaller emeralds hanging from it range from 30 cts to 60 cts.

 

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Coffe cup holders Drinking coffee was more popular in old Iran than it is today. According to accounts by an Englishman who travelled to Iran over 200 years ago, coffee beans were imported to Iran from Arabia, and strong coffee was served hot, sweet and black in small round-bottomed cups made of china or glass after meals. The cups were held in coffee cup holders such as the ones pictured here, which are part of a set of 12. They are made of white gold, covered with a layer of yellow gold, and studded with turquoise stones. Each one is approximately 5.5 cm. (2.2 in.)

 

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Diamond & Ruby Aigrette This aigrette is made of solid gold and studded with diamonds. Around the center sunburst, the words "Al-Sultan Ibn-Sultan Fath-Ali Shah Qajar" appear in rubies. The word Qajar is misspelled, suggesting that the jeweller who designed the piece did not have an adequate grasp of Farsi, the Persian language. Thus, it is believed that this is one of three aigrettes presented by Russia's Czar Alexander I to Fathali Shah in 1817. The total height of the aigrette is 20.5 cm. (8 in.) and the largest diamond is 12 cts.

 

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Water Decanter and Basin

This water decanter and basin were used to wash the hands of the Shah and his guests prior to and after meals. According to accounts by 17th and 18th century French and English travellers, the water was usually warm and scented with rosewater. One servant would pour the water over the diner's hands by tilting the decanter, while another servant held the basin beneath his hands to catch the water. The custom was common throughout the country and among all classes, so a basin and water decanter could be found in practically every household. Of course, few would have been as ornate. This particular water decanter and basin were carried by the Shah's entourage, along with his slippers, his sword, mace and staff, his waterpipe and his tobacco humidifier.

The basin is 10.5 cm. (4.5 in.) high, 29.5 cm. (12 in.) in diameter, and weighs 1870 grams (4.5 lbs.) It is made of solid gold, decorated with enamel and emeralds. The top of the basin is made like a sieve, designed to prevent any water from splashing out. The largest emerald on the basin is 25 cts. The decanter is 42.5 cm. (17 in.) high and weighs 4224 grams (9.5 lbs.) and is also made of solid gold. It is encrusted with emeralds, rubies, pearls, and spinels. The largest ruby (which is not visible in the picture) is 22 cts. and the largest emerald is 30 cts.

 

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Emerald Pillbox, Pocket Watch, Buckle and Seals

These are some of many everyday household items which are on display. The pillbox in the center of this photograph is made of a single emerald stone which has been cut in half. The gold frame which is studded with diamonds and a ruby is signed by a jewellery designer who worked in the Faberge workshop from 1886 until his death in 1903. The length of the pillbox is 5.2 cm. (2 in.)

The pocket watch seen on the lower left bears a 55 ct. emerald surrounded by diamonds and was made by a jeweller who had a workshop in Geneva and Paris.

The buckle on the top right also bears a large emerald of 152 cts., and is 5.2 cm. (2 in.) high. The dome-shaped seals, on the bottom right and top left, are made of emerald and each bears the image of a Chinese-style dragon in different poses. The exterior of the seals are studded with diamonds, and have inscriptions which date the seals to approximately 1825 and attribute them to Fathali Shah.