corundum, quality.10, Tajikistan.12, spinel, gems

Meen describes and documents the largest and most important gemstones in the Iranian Crown Jewels, drawing upon his examination of the collection in Tehran. Particular attention is given to exceptional diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, spinels, and other large gems, with discussion of their weights, dimensions, colors, forms, and settings. The article places these stones within the extraordinary accumulation of loose gems and jeweled objects assembled by successive Persian rulers and comments on problems of identification and nomenclature among historically celebrated stones. Illustrated with photographs of major specimens, the paper provides an important gemological record of outstanding stones in the Iranian treasury and complements the broader historical documentation of the Crown Jewels of Iran.