TheIranian National Jewels (Persian:جواهرات ملی ایران,Javāherāt-e Melli-ye Irān), originally theIranian Crown Jewels (Persian:جواهرات سلطنتی ایران,Javāherāt-e Saltanati-ye Irān), include elaboratecrowns, thirty tiaras, and numerousaigrettes, a dozen bejeweled swords and shields, a number of unset precious gems, numerous plates and other dining services cast in precious metals and encrusted with gems, and several other more unusual items (such as a largegolden globe with the oceans made ofemeralds) collected or worn by theIranian monarchs from the 16th century (Safavid Iran) and on. The collection is housed at theTreasury of National Jewels, situated inside theCentral Bank of Iran onTehran'sFerdowsi Street.[1]
The majority of the items now in the collection were acquired by theSafavid dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1502 to 1736 AD. Afghans invaded Iran in 1719 and sacked the then capital ofIsfahan and took the Iranian crown jewels as plunder.[citation needed] By 1729, however, after an internal struggle of nearly a decade,Nader Shah successfully drove the Afghans from Iran. In 1738, theShah launched his own campaign against the Afghan homeland. After taking and raiding the cities ofKandahar andKabul as well as several principalities in far-off northernIndia, and sackingDelhi, the victorious Nader Shah returned toIran with what remained of the plundered crown jewels as well as several other precious objects now found in the Iranian Treasury. These includeddiamonds,emeralds,rubies,sapphires, and other precious gemstones. Four of the most prominent acquisitions from this conquest were theKoh-i-Noor andDarya-ye Noor diamonds (both originating from India and still amongst the largest in the world), thePeacock Throne, and theSamarian Spinel.[citation needed]
The crown jewels were last used by thePahlavi dynasty, the last to rule Iran. The splendor of the collection came to the attention of the western world largely through their use byMohammad Reza Shah and hisShahbanu,Farah Pahlavi, during official ceremonies and state visits.
The Iranian crown jewels are considered so valuable that they are still used as a reserve to back Iranian currency (and have been used this way by several successive governments). In 1937, during the reign ofReza Shah Pahlavi, ownership of the Imperial treasury was transferred to the state. The jewels were placed in the vaults ofBank Melli Iran, where they were used as collateral to strengthen the financial power of the institution and to back the national monetary system.[2] This important economic role is perhaps one reason why these jewels, undeniable symbols of Iran'smonarchic past, have been retained by the currentIslamic Republic.[citation needed]
Because of their great value and economic significance, the Iranian crown jewels were for centuries kept far from public view in the vaults of the Imperial treasury. However, as the first Pahlavi Shah had transferred ownership of the crown jewels to the state, his son,Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, decreed that the most spectacular of the jewels should be put on public display at theCentral Bank of Iran.
When theIranian Revolution toppled thePahlavi dynasty in 1979, it was feared that in the chaos the Iranian crown jewels had been stolen or sold by the revolutionaries. Although in fact some smaller items were stolen and smuggled across Iran's borders, the bulk of the collection remained intact. This became evident when the revolutionary government under the presidency ofHashemi Rafsanjani re-opened the permanent exhibition of the Iranian crown jewels to the public in the 1990s. They remain on public display.[citation needed]
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The Royal Mace ofIran is a jewel-encrustedceremonial mace, a part of the Iranian Crown Jewels. It was a favorite ofFath-Ali Shah Qajar, who is often shown holding it in his miniature portraits.The mace is encrusted with spinels and diamonds, from end to end. It is 73 cm (2.4 ft) long. The largest diamond weighs 17 carats (3.4 g), and is located on the very top of the mace. The largest spinels are the six surrounding the top of the mace, each weighing 40 carats (8 g).
Media related toCrown jewels of Iran at Wikimedia Commons
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