ColumnistsOct 01, 2025
Peter Smith: Why Vendor Success Starts With Self-ReflectionSmith shares the importance of looking at your company with openness and honesty to identify opportunities you may be missing.
TrendsJan 17, 2018
6 Fascinating Facts About the Crown Jewels
In a rare televised interview, the Queen of England shared her thoughts on her coronation 65 years ago and the iconic jewels that haven’t been worn since.
In a rare televised interview, the Queen of England shared her thoughts on her coronation 65 years ago and the iconic jewels that haven’t been worn since.
London--Queen Elizabeth II has been the subject of extra fascination since the debut of “The Crown,” the Netflix series that recounts her life, but fans of the royal were able to witness what she’s really like when she made a rare televised appearance in a BBC documentary that aired Sunday.
“The Coronation with Her Majesty the Crown” recounted details of the sovereign’s official coronation 65 years ago, with the queen herself joining royal expert and interviewer Alastair Bruce to watch the event (it was televised at the time) and lend her own commentary.
Bruce and the queen spoke in depth about the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, which were brought from the Tower of London to Buckingham Palace for personal inspection during the interview.
Here are six interesting facts we learned about the Crown Jewels from the documentary.
Elizabeth Wore Two Crowns During the Coronation
The Crown Jewels is comprised of over 140 items containing more than 23,000 precious stones, the most famous of which are the Cullinan I and Cullinan II diamonds, cut from the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough ever found. Most of these items, known as the regalia, are used in the coronation.
The most important of these is St Edward’s Crown, made in 1661 for the coronation of Charles II. The solid gold crown weighs five pounds and boasts 440 gemstones.
The queen hasn’t worn St Edward’s Crown since her coronation. A second crown—the Imperial State Crown, which is lighter—was placed on her head at the end of the coronation ritual. She still wears it for most state openings of Parliament.
The Queen Isn’t Afraid to Handle These Rare and Important Jewels
While many would be intimidated to handle jewels of such great value and historical import, not so much Her Majesty.
Only she, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the crown jeweler are allowed to touch St Edward’s Crown.
During the queen’s interview, Bruce asked if the crown could be placed closer to the queen as they discussed it. She grabbed it roughly with both hands, telling Bruce simply: “This is what I do when I wear it.”
Or talk about them plainly.
She was similarly less than pretentious in her observations of it.
“Is it still as heavy? Yes it is,” she remarked. “Weighs a ton. It’s very solid isn’t it?”
Other gems of wisdom from the queen
included: “Fortunately, my father and I have about the same sort of shaped head … once you put (the crown) on it stays.” And, “You can’t look down to read the speech; you have to take the speech up because if you did, your neck would break, it would fall off.”
When Bruce ventured to Queen Elizabeth, “I imagine your principal memory is wearing it ma’am,” she responded, “And how heavy and unbalanced it was.”
Our favorite was the unsentimental: “There are some disadvantages to crowns but otherwise they’re quite important things.”
The Queen Wishes She Had Seen the Cullinan Get “Smashed”
Discovered in 1905, the Cullinan Diamond made its way to Britain from South Africa, shockingly, “in the post.”
Joseph Asscher was charged with cutting the rough in Antwerp in 1908.
“I always wish I’d been there when they smashed it into pieces,” said Queen Elizabeth. “These are the chips that were left,” she added, motioning to an enormous cushion-cut and an enormous pear-cut diamond pinned to her dress.
The largest polished diamond from the original rough, the Cullinan I, is in the scepter, while Cullinan II is mounted in the Imperial State Crown.
She said that she heard Asscher fainted after he cut the stone, though she couldn’t be sure if that was just a story.
The Crown Jewels Were Hidden from the Nazis in Biscuit Tins
The Crown Jewels are so important to England that special care was taken to hide them from the Nazis during World War II.
A royal librarian recently unearthed evidence that showed that the jewels were stored in a secret room 60 feet below Windsor Castle, which could only be accessed by descending a very long ladder.
Some of the most important jewels were removed from their settings and stowed in biscuit tins, lest they need to be moved again.
The Queen Seems To Think That Pearls Are Alive
The queen looked delighted to examine four dangling pearls that make up one element of St Edward’s Crown.
Two of the pearls are believed to have been owned by Mary Queen of Scots, and purchased by Queen Elizabeth I after the former’s execution.
Upon examination of them, the Queen remarked that the pearls, “don’t look very happy now … Most pearls like to be sort of living creatures so they’ve just been out, hanging out here for years, so they’re all sad. The trouble is that pearls are sort of live things and they need warming.”
When Bruce ventured to Queen Elizabeth, “I imagine your principal memory is wearing it ma’am,” she responded, “And how heavy and unbalanced it was.”
Our favorite was the unsentimental: “There are some disadvantages to crowns but otherwise they’re quite important things.”
The Queen Wishes She Had Seen the Cullinan Get “Smashed”
Discovered in 1905, the Cullinan Diamond made its way to Britain from South Africa, shockingly, “in the post.”
Joseph Asscher was charged with cutting the rough in Antwerp in 1908.
“I always wish I’d been there when they smashed it into pieces,” said Queen Elizabeth. “These are the chips that were left,” she added, motioning to an enormous cushion-cut and an enormous pear-cut diamond pinned to her dress.
The largest polished diamond from the original rough, the Cullinan I, is in the scepter, while Cullinan II is mounted in the Imperial State Crown.
She said that she heard Asscher fainted after he cut the stone, though she couldn’t be sure if that was just a story.
The Crown Jewels Were Hidden from the Nazis in Biscuit Tins
The Crown Jewels are so important to England that special care was taken to hide them from the Nazis during World War II.
A royal librarian recently unearthed evidence that showed that the jewels were stored in a secret room 60 feet below Windsor Castle, which could only be accessed by descending a very long ladder.
Some of the most important jewels were removed from their settings and stowed in biscuit tins, lest they need to be moved again.
The Queen Seems To Think That Pearls Are Alive
The queen looked delighted to examine four dangling pearls that make up one element of St Edward’s Crown.
Two of the pearls are believed to have been owned by Mary Queen of Scots, and purchased by Queen Elizabeth I after the former’s execution.
Upon examination of them, the Queen remarked that the pearls, “don’t look very happy now … Most pearls like to be sort of living creatures so they’ve just been out, hanging out here for years, so they’re all sad. The trouble is that pearls are sort of live things and they need warming.”
More on Trends
The Latest
EditorsOct 01, 2025
Playing Favorites: The Best Jewelry From VicenzaoroAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco visited Italy to spot jewelry trends at the September Vicenzaoro show and share her top finds.
SurveysOct 01, 2025
Consumer Confidence Hits 5-Month Low in September Respondents were concerned about job availability and rising prices.
FinancialsOct 01, 2025
Gemfields’ H1 Revenue Falls 47%Its latest interim financials revealed a challenging first half due in part to production troubles at its mines.
Weekly QuizSep 25, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsSep 30, 2025
Pandora CEO to Retire in 2026, Hand Reins to CMO Alexander Lacik has led Pandora since 2019. Berta de Pablos-Barbier will succeed him, the first woman to head the company.
CrimeSep 30, 2025
2 Suspects Charged in $300K Sleight-of-Hand Jewelry Store ScamTwo men allegedly used counterfeit bills to purchase luxury watches and jewelry from a North Carolina jeweler.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
CollectionsSep 30, 2025
Billie Eilish, Finneas Partner with John HardyThe “Lovestruck” collection, designed with the Academy and Grammy award-winning siblings, is the brand’s first lab-grown diamond offering.
IndependentsSep 30, 2025
Spinelli Kilcollin Announces Residency in DallasThe brand, celebrating its 15th anniversary, has popped up at Market, a luxury fashion destination in Highland Park Village.
IndependentsSep 29, 2025
Nina Pugliese, Longtime Henne Jewelers Employee, Dies at 65She was remembered as a creative and generous woman of faith, who also had a sweet tooth.
IndependentsSep 29, 2025
Mark Henry Jewelry to Debut in CanadaThe New York-based brand is set to launch a limited-time offering for the holiday season at Holt Renfrew in Toronto.
MajorsSep 29, 2025
Overnight Releases New Bridal CatalogThe “Volume 7” bridal catalog features best-selling engagement rings, trending styles, and a new section highlighting anniversary bands.
SurveysSep 26, 2025
Online Shopping, Influencers to Drive Holiday Spending, Mastercard SaysHoliday sales growth is expected to slow as consumers grapple with inflation and tariff-related uncertainty.
Events & AwardsSep 26, 2025
Winners of Austin Jewelry Design Contest Announced Jamie Turner Designs is among the winners of the local “Austin Shines” contest, hosted by Eliza Page, a jewelry store in Austin, Texas.
Policies & IssuesSep 25, 2025
JA CEO Provides Tariff Update Following Annual Fly-InA trade deal with Switzerland seems probable, but reaching an agreement with India remains a challenge, David Bonaparte said.
SourcingSep 25, 2025
2 African Countries Aim to Take Stake in De Beers Botswana’s president said his country wants a controlling share, while Angola envisions multiple countries holding minority stakes.
Lab-GrownSep 25, 2025
Kira Jewels Expands Lab-Grown Diamond ProductionThe manufacturer is adding 1,400 chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors to its growing facility in India.
IndependentsSep 25, 2025
Alex Moss’ New Flagship Brings Bold Jewels to SoHoThe jeweler to the stars has worked with Drake, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, and other celebrities.
WatchesSep 25, 2025
Wilson & Son Jewelers Donates to the Horological Society of New YorkThe Scarsdale, New York-based jeweler donated a professional-grade watch cleaning machine.
Policies & IssuesSep 24, 2025
Tariffs Throw Diamond Trade Into DisarrayThe 50 percent tariffs on diamonds shipped from India to the U.S. have pushed midstream manufacturers to the edge.
SourcingSep 24, 2025
De Beers Adopts New Strategies to Drive Natural Diamond Demand in IndiaDe Beers’ refreshed, multipronged approach, which includes generic promotions and retail partnerships, is delivering positive dividends.
Policies & IssuesSep 24, 2025
For Jewelry Manufacturers, Higher Tariffs Create Long-Term WorriesThey are trying to balance the need to sustain well-established relationships with the pressure higher tariffs have put on margins.
SourcingSep 24, 2025
A Helping Hand: An Effort to Boost Inclusivity in the IndustryJewelry manufacturer Jewelex has partnered with JOSH, an industry training center, on a program for people with disabilities.
CollectionsSep 24, 2025
Greenwich St. Jewelers Goes Back in Time With First Estate CollectionThe collection includes pieces dating back to the Victorian and Art Deco periods as well as mid-century and late 20th-century designs.
Policies & IssuesSep 24, 2025
Diamonds Do Good Names Marcus ter Haar as President-ElectHe previously served as co-chair of the nonprofit’s beneficiary committee.
CollectionsSep 24, 2025
Brilliant Earth’s New Jane Goodall Collection Calls for PeaceIts second collaboration with the conservationist features jewelry with dove and olive branch motifs.
