Coronation Musings--Public Relations Article Request
Antiques. Heirlooms. Treasures for the next generation. These are terms that we commonly use to describe precious jewels and objects that have endured throughout the decades--or centuries--and have passed from parent to child, grandparent to grandchildren, and from aunts and uncles to nieces and nephews. This transference of treasures is one of the hallmarks of the British monarchy, and the objects are spectacular.
From Albania to Serbia, many countries have crown jewels, but none has a more complete and stunning collection than the United Kingdom. Altogether, they are gloriously embellished with over 23,000 gemstones and have been donned over the ages for coronations, the State Opening of Parliament, royal weddings, and baptisms. And, just like the bride-to-be who inherits her great-great-grandmother's engagement ring, along with the story of how her great-great-grandfather proposed, each of the Crown Jewels has its own colorful history. Of those jewels, The Imperial State Crown, made for the coronation of King George VI in 1937, features a most fascinating gem--the Cullinan II diamond.
Cut from the original 3,106-carat rough stone, discovered in South Africa in 1905, the Cullinan II diamond--completely colorless and nearly transparent--weighs 317.4 carats and is a geological marvel. For some perspective on its weight, only one in 5 million diamonds weighs 3.00 carats, so the rare quotient for this stone is stratospheric. So much so, that a senior researcher from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Evan Smith, wanted to find out if there was something different about the composition or formation of such enormous stones. He knew that would require examining one of them and, since the likelihood of procuring the crown was non-existent, he persuaded the GIA to purchase scraps from the original cutting of the Cullinan diamond.
Smith discovered that these small scraps contained tiny bits of garnet and silicon, along with iron and nickel in invisible casings of fluid methane (something that he had never seen before). These inclusions revealed that, unlike most diamonds which typically form 90-125 miles beneath the earth's surface, these very large specimens were formed around 200-500 miles deep, apparently in oxygen-deprived pockets, which is highly unusual and raises intriguing questions not only about the formation of diamonds but also about the earth's formation.
When King Charles makes his egress from Westminster Abbey after his coronation, it is doubtful that the origin and geological composition of the rare and magnificent stone that blazes on his crown will be top of mind. Like the bride with her cherished ring, he'll probably be thinking about the one who last wore it--his mother-- and the extraordinary history that it conveys, one that continues with him.
