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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Jewels in Motion: The Bohemian Crown Jewels

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DAVID NEFF/AFP/Getty Images
Time for another look at the crown jewels of the world in glittering motion! Today, we’re marveling at the medieval crown jewels of Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic.

The Bohemian crown jewel set includes several objects, but today we’re focusing on three in particular: the Crown of St. Wenceslas, the royal orb, and the royal scepter.
All three objects date to the 14th century. They were first used in the coronation ceremony of King Charles IV of Bohemia, who reigned from 1346 until his death in 1378. Made of 18-carat gold, the orb features scenes from the Old Testament carved in relief on its surface. The orb is also set with numerous gems, including sapphires, spinels, and pearls.
The scepter is also made of 18-carat gold, and like the orb, it is also encrusted with sapphires, spinels, and pearls.
The intricate top of the scepter is set with an especially large spinel. The scepter, orb, and crown all reside in a special room in the St. Vitus Cathedral, part of the Prague Castle complex. The door to the chamber is secured with seven locks; the keys to the locks are distributed to seven different holders, so that no one person can access the jewel room alone.
Here’s a close-up view of the sides of the Crown of St. Wenceslaus, which is decorated with sapphires and spinels to match the orb and the scepter.
The view of the arches shows that emeralds and pearls are also set in the crown, along with rubies and a single aquamarine.
The crown features four distinctive fleur-de-lis elements and a central cross, which is said to contain a relic of Jesus’s crown of thorns. The crown jewels are not on permanent display; in fact, they’re only shown publicly on special occasions on the order of the President of the Czech Republic. They were displayed only nine times during the 20th century, but they have been brought out for public viewing four times since 2000.

Jewel History: Find Crown Jewels of Bohemia Safe (1911)

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“Find Crown Jewels of Bohemia Safe”
(originally appeared in the New York Times, 3 Sep 1911)

Carlsbad, Aug. 18 — Alarming reports have been lately current in Austria that the crown jewels of Bohemia had been stolen from the holy shrine of St. Vitus’s Cathedral, Prague. The question was considered whether to open the crown chamber and examine the casket in which the jewels are kept.

This was not an easy task, because the iron door of St. Wenceslaus at Prague, behind which is the chamber in which the jewels are hidden, is protected by seven large steel locks, and each key is in the possession of one of the seven highest dignitaries of the kingdom of Bohemia. One of these keys is kept by the Governor of Bohemia, another by the Archbishop of Prague, a third by the Lord Mayor of Prague.

After obtaining the necessary consent from Emperor Francis Joseph, these seven high dignitaries met yesterday at the cathedral, but the condition of the iron door to the chamber was so bad on account of the thick layers of rust on the seven locks that experts had to be sent for, who, after great trouble, succeeded in opening the door.

Thereupon the seven dignitaries applied their keys, and for the first time since the year 1867 the door was opened. The dignitaries climbed up on a secret serpentine staircase to the chamber, which they found richly and artistically decorated and in a tolerably good condition.

The shrine in which the jewels are kept was found covered with dust and mortar, also protected by seven locks, and, with the same seven keys with which the door had been opened, it was opened, and on a crimson cushion the crown jewels of Bohemia, which are of immense value and 700 years old, were found. A golden diadem which was thought to be lost was on the top. The others were the crown, sceptre, imperial globe, the crown cloak of Bohemia, and all the insignia which belong to it.

The jewels were sparkling. The golden settings were rather dim, but in good shape. After the minutes of the meeting were written down, the casket was closed again with the seven keys and the door of the crown chamber also closed with the same keys.