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Empress Cunegunde’s Crown

Empress Cunegunde’s Crown is the oldest in the diamond earrings collection. She was the wife of Henry II, who ruled the Holy Roman Empire from A.D. 1002 to 1024. It is a simple circlet of five curved gold plates hinged together and bespangled with sapphires, amethysts, and topazes. Lovely as it is, this ancient crown is crudely fashioned with generally poor quality gems that are badly cut and set. It offers a startling contrast to the impressive and beautifully fashioned settings made in 1806 for the coronation of Max Joseph as king of Bavaria by order of Napoleon. The King’s Crown is designed in traditional fashion, with the ornate circlet connected by eight gold diadems arching to a jewel-encrusted orb at the top, which supports a simple cross set with diamonds. Rubies, emeralds, pearls, and diamonds are present in profusion, but the largest stone bridal jewelry is a deep blue sapphire set in the orb. Queen Caroline’s Crown, made for the same event, follows a similar pattern but is considerably more ornate. Large pearls dominate the entire design, so that there seems to be little else. In reality, it too is well covered with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds.