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Decorations: Esterhazy

The famous Esterhazy jewels which remained in that princely house for three-quarters of a century, were among the wonders of the age. It was at the end of the last century that Prince Nicholas Esterhazy was present at the coronation of Francis II., as King of Hungary. He was then captain of a troop of twenty-four nobles and princes inferior to him in rank and fortune. It was on this occasion that the first uniform enriched with precious stones was worn. All the pieces of armour worn were covered with jewels. The effect of their splendour was remarkable, and Prince Esterhazy, in particular, became distinguished throughout Europe for the enormous extravagance of his costume. The same luxury was observed by Prince Paul Esterhazy, who died a few years ago, leaving debts to a very large amount. His estates were mortgaged, but his private property, particularly his jewels, were sold for the benefit of his creditors. These numbered upwards of fifty thousand brilliants, many of them of great value, and others consisted of emeralds, rubies, topazes, and fine pearls. Among the splendid ornaments was an aigrette of diamonds that Prince Nicholas wore on his hussar's cap, to replace the ordinary plumes. It was said to be the most beautiful that could be seen. The aigrette contained five thousand brilliants. Around the hussar's cap was a twisted loop in which were pearls and brilliants of immense value. A sword and sheath were covered with rare jewels. The belt was perhaps the richest decoration of the costume, covered with pearls and diamonds of large size and remarkable beauty. Besides all this magnificence the prince possessed a splendid collection of objects adorned with precious stones, particularly six orders of the "Golden Fleece" of immense value, and also the orders of the "Bath" and "St. Andrew" in diamonds.

The famous Esterhazy jacket is said to have cost the prince a hundred pounds in wear and tear, each time it was put on.

In modern times nothing could exceed the splendour of jewel-decorations in the East, and the vast quantity of precious stones.

In 1786, after Tippoo Sultan had concluded an expensive war with the English, in his treasury were eighty millions sterling in jewels and costly objects. At Moorshedabad, once an important town in the valley of the Ganges, and capital of the Mohammedan rajahs, stood the magnificent palace of Suraja Dowla, a monster whose name will ever be associated with the horrors of the Black Hole of Calcutta. It was in this palace that Clive stood amazed amidst the glittering heaps of gold, silver, diamonds, and other precious stones. In 1800 a mission was sent to Persia under the command of Captain (afterwards Sir John) Malcolm, who describes the Shah's, Fetteh-Ali's, appearance in his hall of audience, "His dress baffles all description. The ground of his robes was white; but he was so covered with jewels of an extraordinary size, and their splendour, from his being seated where the rays of the sun played upon them, was so dazzling, that it was impossible to distinguish the minute parts, which combined to give such amazing brilliancy to his whole figure." Sir R. Kerr Porter, in his "Travels," alludes to the same monarch on a great ceremonial occasion. "He was one blaze of jewels, which literally dazzled the sight when first looking at him; but the details of the dress were these: a lofty tissue of three elevations was on his head, which shape seems to have been long peculiar to the crown of the great king. It was entirely composed of thickly set diamonds and pearls, rubies and emeralds, so exquisitely disposed, as to form a mixture of the most beautiful colours in the brilliant light reflected from its surface. Several black feathers, like the heron plumes, were intermixed with the resplendent aigrettes of this truly imperial diadem, whose bending points were finished with pear-shaped pearls of an immense size. The vesture was of gold tissue, nearly covered with a similar distribution of jewellery; and, crossing the shoulders, were two strings of pearls, probably the largest in the world. I call his dress a vesture, because it sets close to his person, from the neck to the bottom of the waist, showing a shape as noble as his air. At that point it devolved downward in loose drapery, like the usual Persian garment, and was of the same costly materials with the vest. But for splendour, nothing could exceed the broad bracelet round his arms, and the belt that encircled his waist: they actually blazed like fire, when the rays of the sun met them; and when we know the names derived from such excessive lustre, we cannot be surprised at seeing such an effect. The jewelled band on the right arm was called, 'the mountain of light,' and that on the left, 'the sea of light.' These names were, of course, derived from the celebrated diamonds contained in the bracelets."