Iranian Crown Jewels

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(Pictures attached below)The Iranian Imperial Crown Jewels, also called the Imperial Crown Jewels of Persia, is the by far largest, most dazzling and valuable jewel collection in the world. The collection is comprised of a set of crowns and thrones, some 30 tiaras, numerous aigrettes, jewel-studded swords and shields, a vast amount of precious loose gems, including one of the largest collections of emeralds and rubies in the world and other items collected by the Iranian/Persian monarchs the Shahs of Iran (Persia) during the 2,500 year existence of the Iranian monarchy. Most of the items in the collection were however aquired by the Safavid shahs who ruled Iran 1502 - 1736 AD.

When the Afghans in 1719 AD brutally raided and pillaged Isfahan, which was the capital of Iran during the Safavid reign and had a reputation of being the most beautiful city in the world, the city was laid in ruins and most of the crown jewels vanished with the invadors. In 1729 the legendary and heroic Persian king, Nader Shah Afshar, regained Iran from the Afghans. In 1738 Nader Shah launched a campaign against Kandahar, Kabul and India. It is widely believed that the main reason that the Iranian emperor decided to take this route and end up in Delhi was because of his burning desire to regain the lost treasures of Persia which by now mostly had been dispersed throughout India and ended up at the court of the Moghul emperor as well as in the courts of numerous maharajas. Once Nader had obtained all that he came for, he withdrew from India and returned to Iran with several heavily jewel-encrusted thrones, large chests filled to the brim with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and other precious gems. He also conquered the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is the largest cut diamond in the world.

The crown jewels were last used by the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Iranian empress Farah Pahlavi and other members of the Iranian Imperial family on official ceremonies and state visits.

So valuable are the Iranian crown jewels that they back the Iranian currency as a reserve. For centuries they were kept locked up out of the sight of the public. It was only during the reign of the last Shah of Iran that the crown jewels were put on display at the vaults of the Central Bank of Iran. It was also the last Shah of Iran, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who decreed that the jewels would be the property of the Iranian state and not the Imperial family.

When the Iranian revolution toppled the 2500 year old monarchy in 1979, there were many rumors about that the Iranian treasures had been stolen by revolutionaries and sold in Europe and the U.S.A. - Although some smaller items had indeed been stolen and smuggled across Iran's borders, the bulk of the collection remained intact. This also became evident when the revolutionary regime under the presidency of Hashemi Rafsanjani reopened the permanent exhibition of the Iranian crown jewels to the public in the 1990's. The smugglers of the stolen items were caught in Pakistan and the stolen items were confiscated by Pakistani authorities. Iran has pleaded with Pakistan to return the stolen items to Iran, but til this day no items have been returned.

"The imperial crown of the Pahlavi dynasty of Iran - The last imperial dynasty to rule Iran. The crown is studded with 3,380 diamonds, totalling 1,144 cts, of which the largest is a brilliant-cut yellow diamond of 60 cts. Of the 5 emeralds, totalling 200 cts., the largest is approximately 100 cts. The largest sapphire is 20 cts. "
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"The imperial crown of the Pahlavi dynasty of Iran - The last imperial dynasty to rule Iran. The crown is studded with 3,380 diamonds, totalling 1,144 cts, of which the largest is a brilliant-cut yellow diamond of 60 cts. Of the 5 emeralds, totalling 200 cts., the largest is approximately 100 cts. The largest sapphire is 20 cts. "
"The coronation crown worn by empress Farah of Iran on the coronation in 1967"
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"The coronation crown worn by empress Farah of Iran on the coronation in 1967"
"The Imperial Kiani Crown of Iran was the official crown of the Qajar dynasty which ruled Iran between 1796–1925. The crown stands 32 cm / 12.5 inches high, and is 19.5 cm /7.5 inches wide. It features some 1800 small fine pearls, 300 emeralds and 1800 rubies, and numerous diamonds."
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"The Imperial Kiani Crown of Iran was the official crown of the Qajar dynasty which ruled Iran between 1796–1925. The crown stands 32 cm / 12.5 inches high, and is 19.5 cm /7.5 inches wide. It features some 1800 small fine pearls, 300 emeralds and 1800 rubies, and numerous diamonds."
"Sword and epaulets of Nader Shah Afshar of Iran(1688 - 1747 AD). The epaulets are studded with the finest of diamonds. The Iranian crown jewels house one of the largest collections of emeralds in the world. "
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"Sword and epaulets of Nader Shah Afshar of Iran(1688 - 1747 AD). The epaulets are studded with the finest of diamonds. The Iranian crown jewels house one of the largest collections of emeralds in the world. "
"The Naderi throne stands 225 cm tall (7.5 ft.) and is studded with 26,733 jewels in a base of gold. This throne was used at the coronation of the two Pahlavi shahs in 1926 and 1967. It got its name from Nader Shah who ruled Iran 1736 - 1747 AD."
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"The Naderi throne stands 225 cm tall (7.5 ft.) and is studded with 26,733 jewels in a base of gold. This throne was used at the coronation of the two Pahlavi shahs in 1926 and 1967. It got its name from Nader Shah who ruled Iran 1736 - 1747 AD."


"The imperial sword, was last worn by the Shah of Iran at his coronation in 1967. The whole handle, hilt and scabbard of the sword is encrusted with some 3000 precious gem stones, including large emeralds, rubies, diamonds and spinels. The sword measures 103 cm. "
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"The imperial sword, was last worn by the Shah of Iran at his coronation in 1967. The whole handle, hilt and scabbard of the sword is encrusted with some 3000 precious gem stones, including large emeralds, rubies, diamonds and spinels. The sword measures 103 cm. "
"The empress tiara worn on many occasions by empress Farah of Iran"
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"The empress tiara worn on many occasions by empress Farah of Iran"
"The impressive coronation necklace of the Iranian empress, featuring huge emeralds, diamonds, rare yellow diamonds and the finest pearls"
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"The impressive coronation necklace of the Iranian empress, featuring huge emeralds, diamonds, rare yellow diamonds and the finest pearls"
"The 15 meter long blue-green velvet cape of the Iranian empress was worn on the coronation in Tehran 1967. It's densly studded with thousands of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls and other precious gems."
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"The 15 meter long blue-green velvet cape of the Iranian empress was worn on the coronation in Tehran 1967. It's densly studded with thousands of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls and other precious gems."
Image:Globe 2 - small.png
"The jewel studded imperial globe of the Iranian crown jewels stands 110 cm tall (44 inches) and has a diameter of 45 cm. (18 inches) It's studded with more than 51,000 precious gems. The seas and oceans are shown with emeralds while the countries are mostly displayed in rubies and spinels. Iran, Britain, France, and parts of South Asia are shown in diamonds. The base is constructed of wood, covered with a layer of gold. Approximately 35 kilograms (75 pounds) of pure gold is used in the globe. "
"Jewel-studded pitcher. Fully covered with emeralds, rubies diamonds and pearls. Probably used for serving wine."
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"Jewel-studded pitcher. Fully covered with emeralds, rubies diamonds and pearls. Probably used for serving wine."


"One of approximately 30 tiaras belonging to the Iranian crown jewel collection"
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"One of approximately 30 tiaras belonging to the Iranian crown jewel collection"
"Dish cover. One of the European travellers / explorers who had the oppotunity to visit the imperial court of the Shah's of Iran (Persian) in the 16th century, described in his writings that he managed to count up awards 4000 dishes - plates, food covers, pitchers, and cups, etc., that all were studded with the finest of precious jewels, and yet he didn't have the chance to see them all..."
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"Dish cover. One of the European travellers / explorers who had the oppotunity to visit the imperial court of the Shah's of Iran (Persian) in the 16th century, described in his writings that he managed to count up awards 4000 dishes - plates, food covers, pitchers, and cups, etc., that all were studded with the finest of precious jewels, and yet he didn't have the chance to see them all..."
"The Darya-i-Noor diamond is one of the world largest diamonds and definitely one of the absolutely rarest because of its unusual pink color. It weighs 182 carats (36.4 g)and its colour is a pale pink which is one of the rarest to be found in diamonds. It's Persian name 'Darya-ye Noor' translates into English as the 'Sea of Light'"
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"The Darya-i-Noor diamond is one of the world largest diamonds and definitely one of the absolutely rarest because of its unusual pink color. It weighs 182 carats (36.4 g)and its colour is a pale pink which is one of the rarest to be found in diamonds. It's Persian name 'Darya-ye Noor' translates into English as the 'Sea of Light'"
"The Imperial Coronation Belt - The belt itself is woven of gold and is 119 cm. (46 in.) long. The emerald in the buckle weighs 175 cts and is surrounded with numerous fine diamonds. Not much is known about the history of the belt other than that it dates back to at least the 17th century AD. Both Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty wore the belt on their coronations."
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"The Imperial Coronation Belt - The belt itself is woven of gold and is 119 cm. (46 in.) long. The emerald in the buckle weighs 175 cts and is surrounded with numerous fine diamonds. Not much is known about the history of the belt other than that it dates back to at least the 17th century AD. Both Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty wore the belt on their coronations."
"Treasure chest filled with precious pearls from the Persian gulf. The chest is emameled with intricate Qajar period Persian paintings and floral patterns"
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"Treasure chest filled with precious pearls from the Persian gulf. The chest is emameled with intricate Qajar period Persian paintings and floral patterns"
The Sun Throne in Golestan Palace, Iran - One of several thrones of the Persian courts, of which the most famous one is the legendary Peacock Throne
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The Sun Throne in Golestan Palace, Iran - One of several thrones of the Persian courts, of which the most famous one is the legendary Peacock Throne

Though Iran is now an Islamic Republic, the monarchy having been overthrown in 1979, the Imperial Crown Jewels are still on display in the Iranian Central Bank in Tehran. The set includes

  • Jewel-studded globe
  • The Pahlavi Crown
  • Darya-e Noor diamond
  • Kiani Crown
  • Emerald and Diamond Tiara
  • The Royal Sword
  • The Noor-ol-Ain Tiara
  • Empress Farah's tiara
  • The Empress's Crown
  • Emerald & Diamond Necklace
  • The Sword of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
  • The Naderi Throne
  • The Peacock Throne
  • The Royal Mace of Iran
  • Diamond & Platinum Necklace
  • Sapphire & Diamond Brooch
  • Nader Shah's Sword
  • Turquoise Swords and Epaulets
  • Nader Shah's Shield
  • Emerald Beads and Necklace
  • Rings and loose stones of emerald
  • Emerald Brooch and Necklace

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