Crown of the Day:
Kiani Crown, 1st of the 3 crowns of the Iranian Crown Jewels.
1800 pearls, 300 emeralds and 1800 rubies.
The traditional coronation crown in the Iranian Crown Jewels which was used during the Qajar dynasty (1796–1925). The outer frame of the crown has three horizontal rows of pearls going right round the circumference of the crown. One row is at the lower edge, a second below the wavy edge, and a third somewhere in the middle. Between the upper and middle horizontal rows of pearls, more closely studded pearls in roughly hexagonal areas, form a beautiful pattern right round the circumference of the crown. The wavy edge of the outer frame is also studded with pearls. The two edges of the semi-circular bands supporting the cap of the crown are also lined with pearls. In all the total number of pearls found on the crown is about 1,800, so much so that one could characterize the Kiani Crown as essentially a “Crown of Pearls.”
August 01, 2011, 10:00am
