Tower of London Crown Jewels: What's Inside Guide

The Tower of London: Guardian of Britain's Treasures

For over 600 years, the Tower of London has served as the home of the British Crown Jewels — one of the world's most extraordinary collections of royal regalia. This ancient fortress on the north bank of the Thames, built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, has served as palace, prison, mint, and menagerie over its long history. Today, its most celebrated role is as the custodian of the Crown Jewels, which draw millions of visitors each year to the Jewel House within the Tower's walls.

What exactly is inside the Tower of London's Crown Jewels collection? This guide takes you through the most significant pieces — the crowns, orbs, sceptres, swords, and other ceremonial objects that together constitute one of the world's greatest accumulations of precious gemstones and royal symbolism.

The Jewel House: Where the Crown Jewels Live

The Crown Jewels are displayed in the Jewel House, a purpose-built facility within the Tower of London that combines museum-quality display with extraordinary security. Visitors approach the collection via a series of introductory galleries that explain the history and significance of the regalia before entering the main display area, where the jewels are presented in illuminated cases.

The centerpiece of the display is a moving walkway that carries visitors past the most important pieces — the Imperial State Crown, St. Edward's Crown, and the Sovereign's Orb and Sceptre — ensuring that everyone gets a close view of these extraordinary objects. The walkway can be ridden multiple times, allowing visitors to linger over the details of pieces that contain thousands of individual gemstones.

The Crowns: Headpieces of Power

St. Edward's Crown is the most sacred piece in the collection — the crown used to crown the sovereign at the moment of coronation. Made in 1661 for Charles II, it is set with 444 precious and semi-precious stones including amethysts, topazes, rubies, sapphires, garnets, and tourmalines. Weighing 2.23 kg, it is one of the heaviest crowns in the world and is used only at coronations.

The Imperial State Crown is the most recognizable piece in the collection and the crown most frequently seen in photographs and on currency. Made in 1937 for George VI's coronation, it contains 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies. Its most famous stones include the Black Prince's Ruby (a large red spinel set in the front cross), the Stuart Sapphire (set in the back), and Cullinan II — the Second Star of Africa diamond (317.4 carats) set in the front band.

The Crown of Queen Mary (1911) is notable for containing the Koh-i-Noor diamond — one of the world's most famous and controversial gems, with a history stretching back to 14th-century India. The crown was made for the coronation of Queen Mary, consort of George V, and has been worn by subsequent queens consort.

The Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1937) was made for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) and also contains the Koh-i-Noor, which was transferred from Queen Mary's crown. It was used at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

The Sovereign's Orb: Symbol of Christian Monarchy

The Sovereign's Orb is a golden sphere surmounted by a cross, symbolizing the Christian world under the authority of the cross. Made in 1661 for Charles II's coronation, it is set with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls arranged in elaborate floral and foliate patterns. The orb is placed in the sovereign's right hand during the coronation ceremony before being returned to the altar — a reminder that earthly power is subordinate to divine authority.

The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross: The Great Star of Africa

The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross is perhaps the most gemologically significant piece in the collection, as it contains Cullinan I — the Great Star of Africa — the largest colorless cut diamond in the world at 530.2 carats. This pear-shaped brilliant, cut from the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found (the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905), dominates the head of the sceptre with its extraordinary size and brilliance.

The sceptre also contains a large amethyst at its base and is decorated with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires throughout. It is placed in the sovereign's right hand during the coronation ceremony as a symbol of royal power and justice.

The Ampulla and Coronation Spoon: The Oldest Pieces

The Ampulla — a golden eagle-shaped vessel used to hold the holy oil for the sovereign's anointing — and the Coronation Spoon are the oldest pieces in the Crown Jewels collection, both dating to the medieval period and surviving the destruction of the regalia in 1649 because they were preserved by private individuals.

The Coronation Spoon, dating to the 12th century, is used to anoint the sovereign with holy oil during the coronation ceremony — the most sacred moment of the entire ritual. Its survival across nine centuries makes it a remarkable link to the earliest traditions of English monarchy.

The Swords: Justice and Mercy

The Crown Jewels include several ceremonial swords, each with specific symbolic functions in the coronation ceremony. The Sword of State — the largest and most impressive — symbolizes royal authority. The Sword of Mercy (also called Curtana) has a blunted tip symbolizing mercy. The Swords of Spiritual and Temporal Justice complete the set of four swords carried in the coronation procession.

These swords are set with precious stones and decorated with elaborate goldwork, combining martial symbolism with the aesthetic splendor appropriate to royal regalia.

The Gemstone Healing Connection

For crystal healing practitioners, the Crown Jewels offer a fascinating window into the historical understanding of gemstone properties. The specific stones chosen for royal regalia — sapphires for wisdom, rubies for courage, emeralds for hope, diamonds for invincibility — reflect a sophisticated understanding of gemstone symbolism rooted in ancient traditions from India, the Middle East, and classical antiquity.

The Crown Jewels are, in a sense, the world's most elaborate crystal healing array — a collection of the most powerful gemstones, assembled with the intention of supporting the sovereign's capacity to rule wisely, justly, and courageously. The healing and protective properties attributed to these stones by medieval and early modern jewelers align closely with their contemporary crystal healing associations, demonstrating the remarkable consistency of human intuition about precious stone across centuries and cultures.

Visiting the Crown Jewels

The Crown Jewels are open to visitors year-round at the Tower of London, with the exception of occasional closures for state ceremonies. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Tower entrance. The Jewel House is typically the most popular attraction within the Tower complex, and queues can be long during peak tourist season — early morning visits or weekday visits outside school holidays are recommended for the best experience.