THE QUEEN'S STATE CROWN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue II, 8 June 1880, Page 3

THE QUEEN'S STATE CROWN.

The ©lobe contains the following description of the crown by Professor Tennant, mineralogist to He^Jyfojestjy ia the Strand : — The Imperial State Crown of Queen Victoria, which Her Majesty wears at the/openjng of Parliament, was made by Messrs Eundell and Bridge in 1838, with jewels taken ftom old crowns, and others furnished by command of Her Majesty. It consists of diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, and emei aids, get in silver and gold ; it has a crimson velvet cap with an •* ermin«4»order, and is lined with white silk Its, gross weight is 390z sdwt troy. The lower part of the band above the ermine border consists of a row of, 129 pearls, and the upper part of tbe ( Jband of a row of 112 pearls, betjvfien which, in front of the crown, is A,) 4r g« sapphire (partly drilled), purchased for the crown by His Majes^Kin^ George IV. At the back is a'sapphire of smaller size, and six otheK sftpphir,ea (three on each side), befweeij,; which are 8 emeralds. Above and below the seven sapphires -fl* f e 14 diamonds, and around the y ek&fr emeralds 128 diamonds. Bethe emeralds and the sapphires 1^ trefoi} ornaments, containing 160 diamonds Above the band are eight sapphires, surmounted by eight diamonds, between which are eight festoons, consisting of 148 diamonds. Tn the front of the crown, and in the centie of a diamond Maltese cross, is the famous ruby said to have been given to Edward Prince of Wales, son of Edward 111, called the Black Prince, by Don Pedro, King of Castile, after the battle of Najera, near Vittoria, a.d. 1367. This ruby was worn in the helmet of Henry V. at the Battle of Agincourt, a.d. 1415. It is pierced quite through, after the Eastern custom, the upper pait of the piercing being Clled up by a small ruby. Around this ruby, in order to form the cross, are 75 brilliant diamoritlsr Three other Maltese crosses, forming the two sides and back of the* crown, have emerald centres, and contain respectively 132, 124, and brilliant diamonds. Between tfH^e four 'Maltese ciosses are four HKpaments in the form of the French ■ Eeur- delis, with four rubies in the V centres, and surrounded by rose dia- - mow's, cbntaiping respectively 85, 86, and 87 rose diamonds. Fiom the Maltese crosses issue four imperial arches composed of oak leaves and acorns; the leaves contain 728 rose, table, and brilliant diamonds ; 32 pearls form the acorns, set in cups containing 54 rose diamonds and one table diamond. Ihe total number of diamonds in the arches and acorns is 108 brilliant, 116 table/and 559 rose diamonds,) From; the upper purt of the arches are suspended four large pendant pear-shaped pearls, with rose diamond caps, containing 12 rose diamonds, and stqms containing 24 very small l rose diamonds. Above the arch stands'the mound, containing jjouthe lower hemisphere 304 brilliants, , and in thet'iipj>eV224 brilliants, the zone an^ . are being composed of 33 rose*' dinmonda. The cross on the summit has 8 rose cut sapphire in the c&tr&V -surrounded by four large brilliants and 108 smaller brilliants.