page_title: Crown jewels
section_title: Kartli-Kakheti
hierarchical_section_title: Crown jewels / Europe / Georgia / Kartli-Kakheti
caption_attribution_description: English: The Crown of King George XII of Georgia (Iberian Crown), later part of the Imperial Russian regalia. A painting by Fyodor Solntsev. Watercolor. Archive of Museum of Moscow Kremlin
context_page_description: Crown jewels are the objects of metalwork and jewellery in the regalia of a current or former monarchy. They are often used for the coronation of a monarch and a few other ceremonial occasions. A monarch may often be shown wearing them in portraits, as they symbolize the power and continuity of the monarchy. Additions to them may be made, but since medieval times the existing items are typically passed down unchanged as they symbolize the continuity of the monarchy.
  Typical items in Europe include crowns, sceptres, orbs, swords, ceremonial maces, and rings, all usually in gold or silver-gilt and heavily decorated with precious and semi-precious gemstones, in styles which go back to the Middle Ages and are normally very conservative to emphasize the continuity of the monarchy. Many working collections of Crown Jewels are kept in vaults or strongrooms when not in use and can be seen by the public. The Crown Jewels of many former monarchies can also be seen in museums, and may still represent national cultural icons even for countries that are now republics, as for example in Hungary, where the Holy Crown of Hungary has been re-incorporated in the coat of arms of Hungary.
context_section_description: There is no information about any crown for Kartli-Kakheti predating 1798 although presumably there was one. It is likely that the ancient crown or crowns, traditionally kept at Mtskheta, were lost in 1795 when Shah Agha Mohammed Khan of Persia invaded Kartli and ravaged the kingdom. A replacement crown was commissioned by George XII of Georgia for his coronation in 1798. It was made in Russia and deviated from the traditional Georgian design. It was a closed crown or "corona clausa" made of gold and decorated with 145 diamonds, 58 rubies, 24 emeralds and 16 amethysts. It took the form of a circlet surmounted by ornaments and eight arches. A globe surmounted by a cross rested on the top of the crown. Following the death of George XII in 1800 the crown was sent to Moscow and deposited in the Kremlin to prevent the coronation of any of his successors. In 1923 it was presented to the National Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi but in 1930 it was once again sent back to Moscow where this time it was broken up or sold abroad.
caption: Crown of George XII of Georgia.
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