Royal Crowns

New Zealand Tablet, 28 July 1910, Page 1169

Royal Crowns

The value of the crown jewellery of the potentates of the world reaches into almost incredible sums. The crown of the King of Portugal, one of the most precious of Europe, is worth six and a half million dollars, the one worn by the Czar at special ceremonies of state is not worth any less. The cross on top of the crown is shaped of four immense diamonds of the first water, resting xMnnn arg A uncut but highly polished ruby valued at over £4UUU. A great number of valuable gems cover the crown. At the obsequies of the late Czar one of these gems disappeared mysteriously from its setting during the transfer of the body from the railroad station to the fortress of . ■ . eter and Paul, and, in spite of a most searching investigation, no trace of the gem has been discovered.. The small crown diadem of the Czarina contains the finest diamonds ever set, and it took many years to collect these exquisitely matched gems. The crown of George V. is valued at nearly £400,000, and contains ope large ruby, one large sapphire, sixteen smaller 8 emeralds, 4 smaller rubies, 1360 white and 1273 rose r colored diamonds, four large pear-shaped pearls and 269 others. :> The robes and jewellery worn by the Sultan of Lahore r.o unctions are adorned with diamonds worth £2,000,000. His collar, epaulettes, belt, bracelets, anklets, buckles, and headgear are sparkling with the shinine pebbles. ■ The most precious of all crown jewellery is owned by a potentate inferior in rank to the last named, the Maharajah of Baroda. He possesses a necklace of five rows of diamonds, increasing in size from a pea to a walnut. There are 500 diamonds in this necklace, whose brilliancy is further increased by two rows of emeralds above and below the diamonds and of the same size. This necklace is thought to be worth over £200,000, while the other jewel£4 7 000 000 db V thiS Croesus is estima ted -at more than