[Illustration: 11, 12. THE BRITISH CROWN JEWELS. _Left: The Crown of England, known as St. Edward’s Crown because it was copied, in the time of Charles II, from the ancient crown worn by Edward the Confessor, has been used by many of England’s monarchs for their coronation. Right: The Imperial State Crown is worn by the reigning monarch on all State occasions. Made in 1838, it embodies many historical gems, including the Black Prince’s Ruby, a sapphire from the ring of Edward the Confessor and the second Star of Africa. In all, the crown contains 2,783 diamonds, 277 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and five rubies. (Courtesy of the British Information Services)_] [Illustration: 13. REMODELLING THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN. _Remodelling work in progress at the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company in London._] [Illustration: 14. EMPRESS ELISABETH OF AUSTRIA. _This portrait of one of the beauties of 19th century Europe shows the young Empress wearing hair ornaments of diamond stars which have quivering centers._] _The Vogue of the Pearl_ The notorious pearl-drinking dare of Cleopatra caught the fancy of the Romans. The serpent of the Nile dissolved a _union_ (the Roman word for pearl was _unionem_, in this case truly symbolic) worth half a million dollars, and drank it as a pledge to her Antony. Cleopatra killed herself rather than walk in the triumph of Emperor Augustus, but the Emperor’s favorite, Agrippa, we are told, secured the mate to Cleopatra’s pearl. She had this great pearl halved, for the ears of the statue of Venus in the Pantheon. The vogue of the pearl swept over Rome. This “disease of the oyster,” with its blush of rainbow colors over white, with its tint of beauty and its hint of underwater mystery, had indeed always been regarded as the queen of jewels. The Romans affected it to the degree of vulgar display. The historian Pliny (23-79 A.D.), who railed upon many customs of the time, commented on Pompey’s having a portrait of himself made in pearls and borne by slaves in his triumph. “Unworthy!” cried the satirist, “and a presage of the anger of the gods.” Pliny also recorded that a young bride was “covered from head to foot with pearls and emeralds.” He waxed indignant at the fact that women had pearls set in their shoes. But so did the Emperor Caligula, while the Emperor Nero, fond of the theatre, had pearls adorn his favorite players’ masks. Not to be outdone by an Egyptian, Clodius—whose father was a favorite tragic actor—invited a great company to a feast; he dissolved and drank a large pearl, said that he enjoyed the flavor, and fed a similar gem to every guest. _Roman Luxury_ The vogue of the pearl did not bring about the neglect of other gems. The Senator Nonius owned a great opal, valued at two million sesterces, approximately $150,000. The Emperor Augustus coveted the stone; rather than yield it to him, Nonius withdrew into exile.