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Once upon a time, when Iran was Persia, Reza Shah the Great decided he would not use on his coronation the Kiani Crown which belonged to the Qajar Kings.
Once upon a time in the year 1925 when Iran was Persia there lived in the land a Caucasian jeweler of great repute who had immigrated and who went by the name of Sarajeddin.
It was he who was chosen by Reza Shah the Great to superintend a body of famous Persian goldsmiths which had been commissioned to make a new crown to be formed from the selected gems of the Treasury.
Theory has it that Sarajeddin was inspired in the making of the crown by the crowns of the Sassanian Kings (226-651 A.D.).
H.I.M.(His Imperial Majesty)Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi Aryamehr wore this crown for his coronation. The total weight of the crown was/is: 2080 grams. Oh heavy is the head that wears the crown ... yada yada yada.
A quick parenthetical aside ... a segue if you will: It was that Reza Shah Pahlavi issued a decree on 21 March 1935 asking foreign delegates to use the term Iran in formal correspondence. The motivation behind the word "Iran" its link to Hilter and the "Aryan" race is for another time. And now ... to un-segue ... to return to topic ....
This--oh thee what is interested in all things bejeweled--is not your typical looking crown with all pointy thingees resting on a royal pate. Nay nay. This is a tad beyond description and a must see for its intricacy of design.
Some facts before you go leaping in headlong flight to the viewing room. The crown contains the following:
Diamonds--3380 pieces weighing 1144 carats. Emeralds--5 pieces weighing 199 carats. Sapphires--2 pieces weighing 19 carats. Pearls 368 pieces.
Clearly ... this ain't no baseball cap. For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at
And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark
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