The British Crown Jewels

[Windsor]

The crowns and treasures associated with the British Monarchy are powerful symbols of monarchy for the British people and, as such, their value represents more than gold and precious stones. Today the crowns and treasures used for the coronation of monarchs of the United Kingdom are kept in the Tower of London.

Official website

Pictures:

St. Edwards Crown

Imperial State Crown

Imperial Crown of India

Queen Elizabeth Crown

Queen Victoria Small Diamond Crown

The Royal Orb

The Royal Sceptre

The Coronation Rings

The Exeter Salt

[Windsor]

King George IV State Diadem

Ampulla and spoon

Garter badge

Royal Sceptre contains the world's biggest diamond the Cullinam I (Star of Africa)

The Crown of the Prince of Wales

The Crowns of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth

The Crown of Scotland

The Great State Sword of Scotland

The honours of Scotland

[Windsor]

The Crown Jewels

[Windsor]

The Imperial State Crown:

The Imperial State Crown - The Imperial State Crown was originally made for Queen Victoria's coronation in 1838 and was remade for the coronation of King George VI in 1937. The Crown is 12.4 inches (31.5cm) in height, weighs 0.91kg (over 2lbs), and is set with over 3,000 precious stones, including the 317 carat Cullinan II

Frame of Queen Victoria's Imperial State Crown - Queen Victoria's Crown, 1838 (remaining frame). Designed for the queen, this crown was later used by her successors; in 1910 the frame was modified to accommodate the Cullinan II diamond. By George VI's coronation in 1937, the crown had become very weak so the stones were removed and the frame abandoned. The lighter frame to replace it for George VI's coronation forms the basis of today's Imperial State Crown.

The Stuart Sapphire is seen on the reverse of the Imperial State Crown. - The early history of the Stuart Sapphire is somewhat obscure, although it most probably belonged to Charles II. The Stuart Sapphire is a very fine 104-carat oval shaped sapphire that appears on the backside of the crown

The Black Prince's Ruby - The Black Prince's Ruby on the front of the Imperial State Crown, a name which is misleading because the stone is actually a red spinal weighing about 170 carats.

The Cullinan II Diamond - Cullinan II (also known as the Lesser Star of Africa): 317 carats is the fourth-largest cut diamond in the world.

[Windsor]

The Imperial State Crown

The current Imperial State Crown remodelled for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 was built on the model of the crown of Queen Victoria in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI. Even thought the crown is modern in design, it is set with some very ancient gems such as the Black Prince's Ruby which dates back to the 14th century.

Info: The Internet Forum