The Crown Jewels of England

The regalia of England described in a Cassell edition limited to fourteen hundred copies, in the reign of George V.

Curious Facts

Everything below is in the book — each one links straight to the page it comes from.

  1. The book itself is a numbered treasure. "This Edition is limited to fourteen hundred copies (900 for England and 500 for the United States of America)" — each copy numbered by hand like the gems it catalogues. Read it in the book →
  2. The Koh-i-Nur once weighed nearly 800 carats. "When in possession of Shah Jehan the Koh-i-Nur was uncut and weighed nearly eight hundred carats" — before the cutter Ortensio Borgio reduced it, disastrously. Read it in the book →
  3. A ruby went to Agincourt. The great ruby "was worn by Henry V. in his coronetted helmet at the battle of Agincourt" — the same stone that now fronts the Imperial State Crown. Read it in the book →
  4. William and Mary's coronation stands alone. It is the only one of its kind "as, during their reign as joint sovereigns, we possessed an actual King and an actual Queen" — two thrones, one ceremony. Read it in the book →
  5. The same ruby crowns two reigns. "The ruby appears as the central ornament in the state crowns of Queen Victoria and Edward VII" — gems outlive the monarchs who wear them. Read it in the book →
  6. The Star of Africa is measured to sixteenths. The great Cullinan diamond is recorded down to "one and eleven-sixteenth inches in breadth" — jeweler's precision applied to a national symbol. Read it in the book →
  7. "What is the value of this stone?". The book reports the question every Jewel House visitor asks — and begins its careful non-answer, because some values cannot be computed. Read it in the book →
  8. One sword has no point on purpose. Among the state swords is "Curtana," the Sword of Mercy — its blade deliberately blunted, carried at every coronation. Read it in the book →
  9. The Crown of England outranks them all in age. "The Crown of England is older than any Crown in Europe" — the book's opening claim, made without apology. Read it in the book →
Rights & ReuseThe complete text of The Crown Jewels of England (1911) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.