Royals from around the globe and their jewels have long fascinated the world. One such piece of exquisite history is empress Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi‘s crown, which was created for her coronation in Tehran on October 26, 1967. At just 29, she was the first consort in Iranian history to be crowned; therefore, it is only fitting that her crown was also one of a kind.
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According to the official website dedicated to empress Farah Pahlavi, it was decided that, in the event of the death of her husband, Mohammad Reza, Shah of Iran, empress Farah, the Shahbanou of Iran, would become the first empress ever to be crowned in the history of 2,500 years. And for that purpose, it was necessary to order a new crown.
Empress Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi’s coronation crown
The honour fell on the famous Parisian jeweller Van Clef & Arpels. Zuleika Gerrish, a gemologist and historian of jewels, shared in a February 27 Instagram post that the coronation crown was set with gemstones chosen directly from Iran’s National Treasury. Crafted in secrecy, the crown’s final design was selected from 50 submissions.
Moreover, since the stones were state-held assets, they could not leave the country. So the Maison did something extraordinary; they established a jeweller workshop inside the Treasury itself to make the crown.
Van Cleef & Arpels effectively worked inside a bank vault in Tehran, quite remarkable when you pause and think about it. The luxury jewellery house made 24 trips to Tehran over a period of six months, culminating in the careful selection of the gems stored in bowls inside the Central Bank for the Empress’s crown.
The invaluable customised crown consisted of 1,469 diamonds, 36 emeralds, 2 spinels, 34 rubies, 105 pearls, and at its centre sits a carved emerald weighing approximately 92 carats.
During the coronation, empress Farah had worn the crown with a gown designed by Christian Dior, a deliberate choice that positioned Iran within a modern, international narrative. Moreover, the crown, placed upon the empress’s head by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi himself, sat above a silhouette inspired by Parisian couture.
The crown was worn only once!
Though most coronation crowns are inherited, this one was never passed down to the royal family and was worn only once. According to Zuleika, when the monarchy fell in 1979, it remained with the state. The crown is part of Iran’s state-owned national jewels, which are widely reported to form part of the country’s financial reserves, which is why the crown remains in Tehran.
A replica of the crown is displayed in Paris within the Al Thani Collection’s Dynastic Jewels exhibition at the Hôtel de la Marine.
