As England celebrates the coronation of King Charles III this weekend, the crowns will be the centre of attention. Combined, the three crowns used in the ceremony contain almost 6,000 gemstones — this graphic takes a look at their chemical compositions.
References and further reading
- St Edward’s Crown — The Royal Collection Trust
- The Imperial State Crown — The Royal Collection Trust
- Queen Mary’s Crown — The Royal Collection Trust
- Controversial diamond won’t be used in coronation — BBC News
- The Cullinan Diamond Centennial: A History and Gemological Analysis of Cullinans I and II — K Scarratt & R Shor, Gems and Gemology
- The history of the Cullinan diamonds — J Storoschuk, An Historian About Town