Queen Elizabeth’s most expensive piece of jewelry is worth a staggering 5 Billion dollars, according to H&T Group in London!
Heavy is the head that wears the crown—and that’s particular true of the Imperial State Crown, one of the most iconic “Crown Jewels” of Britain, which weighs in at nearly two pounds.
One of the most awe-inspiring pieces in the Crown Jewels’ collection, the showstopper contains 2,868 diamonds, including the Cullinan II diamond, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies. The Cullinan II, or the Second Star of Africa, is a cushion-cut brilliant with 66 facets weighing 317.4 carats. In 1953, Queen Elizabeth wore the stunning symbol of the British monarchy at her own coronation celebration (though it was the St. Edward’s Crown that was placed on her head at the defining moment). She has also worn the crown on other formal occasions, including the State Opening of Parliament.
The Imperial State Crown was made in 1937 for King George VI (the Queen’s father) as a replica of the crown made for Queen Victoria in 1838 with nearly all the same stones. In a rare television interview for the 2018 documentary The Coronation, which chronicles the moment she went from Princess Elizabeth of York to Queen, Her Majesty told interviewer Alastair Bruce that the Imperial State Crown was “very unwieldy” when she’s worn it. “You can’t look down to read the speech—you had to keep the speech up, because if you did not, your neck would break, or it would fall off,” she said.
Today, security is extremely tight around the Crown Jewels, which have been housed in the Tower of London since the 1600s. Visitors to the Tower can view the dazzling diadem in a darkened room in the Jewel House protected by armed guards and kept under specially-made bulletproof glass. Guests cannot stop in front of the Imperial State Crown, but instead stand on an airport-style conveyor belt, which moves at a brisk place to prevent anyone from lingering over the dramatic display.
Back when the Queen was just a child, safety measures to protect the precious jewels were far less sophisticated, however. Read on to find out what the Queen’s father did to hide the Crown Jewels from enemies during World War II and explore the stories behind other famous tiaras memorably worn by the women of the House of Windsor.
In The Coronation, it was revealed during World War II, King George VI ordered the jewels on the then newly created Imperial State Crown be removed from their setting and hidden in a biscuit tin and then buried in space dug beneath Windsor Castle. The Queen’s father directed this order be carried out in secret because he didn’t want priceless stones falling into Nazi hands.