CrimeAug 03, 2026
Florida Man Gets 15 Years in Trio of Jewelry Store RobberiesThe 50-year-old man pleaded guilty earlier this year to robbing two jewelry stores and a pawn shop of more than $700,000 in merchandise.
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
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
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
WatchesAug 03, 2026
Citizen's New Spider-Man Watch Is a Collector’s DreamThe watch’s dial features an original design by Marvel comics illustrator Adam Kubert.
CollectionsAug 03, 2026
Chatham Releases First Men’s CollectionThe new collection of lab-grown diamond and colored gemstone jewelry provides a “fresh perspective” on the category, Chatham said.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
MajorsJul 31, 2026
Macy’s Iconic Red Shopping Bag Sign Torn DownThe massive billboard has been in the same spot on the department store’s Herald Square flagship store for decades.
Weekly QuizJul 30, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingJul 31, 2026
Gemfields’ H1 Revenue Jumps 72%The miner’s ruby and emerald auctions brought in a combined $102.9 million.
SourcingJul 30, 2026
De Beers Sale in ‘Final, Most Challenging’ Phase, Anglo CEO SaysThe goal is for the De Beers sale to be finished by the second half of 2026, with the subsequent approvals process expected to take a year.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
Policies & IssuesJul 30, 2026
JA Heads Back to Washington as New Wave of Tariffs Takes Effect David Bonaparte, along with Tim Haake and Ronnie VanderLinden, continue to lobby for tariff exemptions for diamonds, gemstones, and pearls.
SurveysJul 30, 2026
Consumer Confidence Slips in JulySurvey respondents were concerned about the rising prices of food and groceries as well as unemployment.
Events & AwardsJul 30, 2026
Vicenzaoro Releases 2026 Education LineupThe trade show, slated for Sept. 4-8 in Vicenza, Italy, will feature sessions on trends, AI, gemology, and manufacturing.
Events & AwardsJul 30, 2026
Hillsborough Show Moves to New Location for 2026The public shopping event featuring art, jewelry, watches, and rare collectibles, will take place in Santa Clara, California, this fall.
EditorsJul 29, 2026
Q&A: The Past and Future of Angola’s Diamond Industry Endiama Commercial Director Elton Escrivão knows people have a lot of misperceptions about Angola. He wants to change that.
MajorsJul 29, 2026
Kevin Reilly Retires After 39 Years in the Jewelry Industry Reilly has been with PGI USA for the last 20 years, leading partnership development and professional education.
FinancialsJul 29, 2026
Kering’s H1 Jewelry Sales Up 14%Boucheron reached record sales while Pomellato found success in its signature collections.
Events & AwardsJul 29, 2026
Lauren Harwell Godfrey Designs a Flag for ArkansasShe was one of more than 120 American designers who created flags for the “United Flags of Fashion” project led by CFDA and Vogue.
ColumnistsJul 28, 2026
Peter Smith: Why Your Job Postings May Be Working Against You Smith reveals the method The Retail Smiths use to help retailers and vendors write better job postings.
FinancialsJul 28, 2026
Tiffany & Co., Bulgari Lead the Way for LVMH in H1LVMH’s jewelry and watch brands outperformed the company’s other divisions in an environment the company described as “disrupted.”
CollectionsJul 28, 2026
Lionheart’s New Collection Unites Spiritual Iconography“Sacred Heart” features symbols like crosses, angel wings, the Star of David, and the evil eye as a representation of coexistence.
Events & AwardsJul 28, 2026
The Edge Funding 2 Scholarships Via 24 Karat Club SEUS The scholarships will go to early-career professionals looking to study gemology, bench work and jewelry design, or store operations.
SurveysJul 27, 2026
Jewelry Leads Luxury Market Amid Stabilization, Bain SaysBain & Company delved into the trends shaping the luxury market, the impact of AI, and more in its recent study.
SourcingJul 27, 2026
‘Rubies’ Goes on Display at Harvard MuseumThe exhibition reveals the gemology, geology, and cultural history of the iconic red gemstone.
Policies & IssuesJul 24, 2026
New Trump Tariffs: What They Mean for Jewelry The new sweeping slate of tariffs impacts 60 countries, including India, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Ode to ‘The Odyssey’From coin pendants to diamond shields, these old world-inspired jewels are the perfect accessory for an epic journey.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Courtney Leidy’s Silk Cord Pendants Center Unexpected Pairings Our Piece of the Week pairs a checkerboard-cut amethyst with an ivy green silk cord.
PodcastsJul 23, 2026
Episode 7: Reinhold Jewelers on the Power of RelationshipsMildred Marcano Abrams and Yael Reinhold join the podcast to talk community connections, holiday plans, and preserving Reinhold’s legacy.
SourcingJul 23, 2026
De Beers’ Production Jumps 88 Percent in Q2 Production also was up in the first half of 2026 but is expected to “substantially” decrease in H2 as two key mines undergo maintenance.
