The Imperial State Crown used at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 weighs a whopping 1.3 kg. The piece of jewelry is made of precious stones, pearls, metals and includes a velvet cape.

On her coronation day, the Queen wore three crowns. On her way to the ceremony, she wore the George IV State Diadem. At the ceremony, she wore the St. Edward’s tiara, and when she returned to Buckingham Palace, she wore the Imperial State Crown.

The world’s most famous crown consists of a gold frame, nearly 3,000 diamonds set in silver, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, about 270 pearls and a large diamond. Some of the gems in The Imperial State Crown were gifts from around the world to the British Royal Family. Among them is the 317-carat Cullinan II diamond, cut from the world’s largest rough diamond (more than 3,000 carats) discovered in South Africa in 1905.

For the coronation in 1953, the crown was modified to be lighter and more suitable for the new queen. The term Imperial State Crown dates back to the 15th century, with its dome-shaped design implying that England was not subject to any other power.

In addition to being used during the coronation, this crown is also used by the Queen to open the British Parliament. However, in recent years, she has rarely used it due to the weight of the crown.

When not in use by the Queen, The Imperial State Crown and many other precious royal items are displayed at the Tower of London, open to visitors for viewing.

There is currently no official document stating the financial value of the Imperial State Crown.