Iranian Crown Jewels

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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.