In the photo - Diamond "Derianur" - a priceless "pearl" of Iranian treasury // Photo: diamondbuzz.blog .
The jewels stored in the treasury of the Central Bank of Iran are considered to be among the most valuable in the world. In terms of estimated value and cultural significance, the Iranian treasury is ranked third, after the collection of royal jewelry in the United Kingdom and the Diamond Fund of Russia. Although it is difficult to estimate the collection due to the difficulty of determining its historical and cultural value, experts estimate it at $20-50 billion.
The most valuable items
A special place in the collection is occupied by the pink diamond “Derianur” (“Sea of Light”), which weighs 182 carats. It is considered to be the largest discovered pink diamond in the world. Historians call the X-XII centuries the period of discovery of the stone, for many centuries it was passed from one generation of the Indian dynasty to another. The diamond came into the possession of Iran after Nadir Shah invaded and defeated the Mughal Empire in the 18th century. The booty captured from the Mughals was so great that Nadir Shah stopped taxing Iran for 3 years.
Calculating the value of Derianur is very difficult. One can draw a parallel with the Pink Star diamond, sold at auction in 2017 for a record $71.2 million. The largest gemstone ever put up for auction is three times lighter than the Iranian diamond, weighing 59.6 carats. In addition, it is incorrect to compare the cultural and historical value of these stones.
A unique globe made of pure gold weighing 34 kilograms is also stunning. It is encrusted with 51 thousand precious stones – diamonds, emeralds and rubies. The globe was created in the 60s of the XIX century at the behest of Shah Nasser al-Din of the Qajar dynasty.
The collection also includes the Peacock Throne, a symbol of Iran’s monarchical power, inlaid with more than 26,000 precious stones. It was commissioned by the Persian Shah Fath-Ali in the late 18th century. It is believed that the prototype was the throne of Shah-i Jahan, seized by Persian troops during the invasion of the Mughal Empire. But that throne disappeared without a trace.
One of the largest spinels in the world cannot be ignored. The mineral of the rarest beauty, called Samaria spinel, weighs about 500 carats. A hole is drilled in the stone – according to legend, it adorned the neck of the biblical golden calf. The hole is now covered by a small diamond.
One of the special items in the jewelry treasury is the shield of Nadir Shah, which he used in various wars. This shield is 46 centimeters in diameter, studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds, covered with rhinoceros skin and studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds.
The Pahlavi crown, created for the coronations of Shahs Reza and Mohammad Reza of the Pahlavi dynasty, is no less famous in the collection. The crown is set with 3,380 diamonds, 369 pearls and a large emerald weighing about 100 carats.
Jewels as a national reserve
Iran’s treasury stands out from the rest in that it has been used as a reserve to back the national currency, the rial, since 1937. Unlike many other countries, where royal jewelry has a purely decorative role, in Iran it also has financial significance at the state level.
The collection is on public display in the old Central Bank building in Tehran. Visitors are admitted several days a week.
