The Petite Crown of Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria wearing her small crown.

Queen Victoria wore the Imperial State Crown until the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861. He was the love of Victoria's life.  Ever since her husband's death, Victoria went into a deep state of mourning, and would wear nothing but black for the rest of her life.  She refused to make appearances in public. Eventually in 1870 the government wanted Victoria back out in public but she would not wear the Imperial State Crown.  Part of the reason was that she would be unable to wear it with her mourning veil.  Victoria said that the crown was too heavy as well.

This is to show how tiny the crown is.

As a solution to her complaints, the government made a small crown as a replacement.  This crown would be able to sit on top of her mourning veil. In the end Victoria was happy, as well as the government. The veil showed that she was a widow, while the crown still showed that she was the queen.  The crown was made by R & S Garrard & Company. This tiny crown also mimicked her size, as the queen was roughly 5 feet tall. The crown is 3.7 inches high and 3.4 inches wide, covered with 1,300  diamonds from the queen's personal collection.  It was considered acceptable for a woman in mourning black to wear diamonds.

Queen Alexandra wearing the small crown.

The first time the crown was worn was on February 9th, 1871 at the State Opening of Parliament in Westminster.  After Queen Victoria died, the crown was given to the British Parliament. The crown had been passed down to Queen Alexandra (whom I was named after) and then to Queen Mary.  In 1937 King George VI put the crown on display in the Tower of London, although the crown is property of the queen.

Quick Myths: Garnet!

Cabachon-Cut Garnets

Garnet is the birthstone that represents the month of January.  They come in a wide range of colors, including all colors except blue.  There most common color is a purplish red that comes from Austria and Hungary.  The fine green ones, Demantoids, are mostly found in the Ural Mountains of Russia.  Other garnets can be found all over the world, including Australia, Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, Switzerland, Tanzania, Myanmar, and also Arizona in the United States. The word Garnet comes from the Latin word "granatus" which means grain. The stone's luster is very high but its transparency is often flawed, even in very clear stones.  The cabochon cut is frequently uses with garnets.

Demantoid garnet and diamond ring.

Garnets are stones that are surrounded by myths and lore.  Garnets were believed to ward off evil and by absorbing the negative energy, curse, or evil eye the stone would turn darker.  Garnets were used as gifts between good friends because if you gave a garnet to someone it would guarantee that you would meet again.  They are thought to help with blood and heart disorders.
  

Garnet in matrix.

Garnets have been a part of different types of cultures as well. The earliest recorded use of stones in jewelry dates back all the way to 3100 BC.  The Egyptians used them as talismans and amulets and were buried with their dead.  Legends say that a large garnet led the way for Noah's Ark. Garnet also could have been on one of the carbuncles on the Israelite's high priest breast plate. In the Native American culture it is believed that garnets cured depression and warded off nightmares.