The Imperial Crown of Brazil ( pt, Coroa Imperial do Brasil), also known as the Crown of Dom Pedro II or as the Diamantine Crown (so called because all of its precious stones are diamonds), is the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

manufactured for the second Brazilian Emperor, Pedro II. With the addition of this Crown to the Brazilian Imperial Regalia, use of the previous, simpler Crown of Pedro I was abandoned. The design of the Crown of Dom Pedro II also replaced the design of the older diadem in

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

and

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of the

Brazilian Empire The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and (until 1828) Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom ...

, thus making the new Crown the official imperial Crown of the State. The Crown of Dom Pedro I was simpler, having been quickly manufactured in 1822 for the

Coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of o ...

of Brazil's first emperor, just a few months after the declaration of the country's independence. When Brazil's second emperor, Pedro II, was declared of age and preparations for his coronation began, the government saw the need to commission the manufacturing of a new crown.

Manufacture

The Crown of Dom Pedro II was created by the goldsmith Carlos MartinWebsite of the Imperial Museum
"The crowns". in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, and was first exhibited to the public on July 8, 1841, just days before the new monarch's Coronation that took place on July 18 of the same year. The crown's frame is made of quality 18 carat

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

. Its

circlet A circlet is a piece of headwear that is similar to a diadem or a corolla. The word 'circlet' is also used to refer to the base of a crown or a coronet, with or without a cap. Diadem and circlet are often used interchangeably, and 'open crowns' ...

base supports eight imperial semi-arches, connected at the top by a golden

monde A ''monde'', meaning 'world' in French, is an orb located near the top of a crown. It represents, as the name suggests, the world that the monarch rules. It is the point at which a crown's half arches meet. It is usually topped off either w ...

, which in turn is surmounted by a jeweled

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...

, forming a

globus cruciger The ''globus cruciger'' ( for, , Latin, cross-bearing orb), also known as "the orb and cross", is an orb surmounted by a cross. It has been a Christian symbol of authority since the Middle Ages, used on coins, in iconography, and with a sceptr ...

. Inside the half-arches lies a dark-green velvet cap (matching the dark green colour of the top surface of the emperor's robe). The crown is set with 639 precious stones (all

diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...

s), and 77

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

s of 8 millimeters each.G1 > Edição Rio de Janeiro - NOTÍCIAS - Coroa Imperial é a original, afirma perita
/ref> This crown weighs , has a diameter of and is high. It is considered one of the most splendid works of Brazilian jewelry.

Usage

Aside from the

Coronation Mass A Coronation Mass is a Eucharistic celebration, in which a special liturgical act, the coronation of an image of Mary, is performed. The coronation of an image of Mary is an act of devotion to her. It expresses the belief that Mary as mother ...

, it was customary for Brazilian emperors to wear their crowns only twice a year, for the ceremonies of opening and closing the session of the Brazilian Imperial Parliament, when the emperor appeared in full

regalia Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereig ...

to deliver his

Speech from the Throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining t ...

. Upon the abolition of the monarchy in 1889, the government of the newly proclaimed republic took possession of all items of the Imperial Regalia, but, unlike what happened upon the abolition of other monarchies, no item of the Crown Jewels was sold or destroyed. Since 1943, the Imperial Crown of Brazil and all other items of the regalia have been kept on permanent public exhibition at the Imperial Palace in the City of Petrópolis, now converted to the

Imperial Museum of Brazil The Museu Imperial de Petrópolis is a museum in the historic center of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is housed in the Petrópolis Imperial Palace, the former summer residence of Emperor Pedro II (reigned 1831–1889), which was built s ...

. Before the opening of the Imperial Museum in 1943, the Imperial Crown and other items of the Brazilian Crown Jewels were kept under lock and key in possession of the Department of the Treasury. The Imperial Crown is the property of the Brazilian State.

Replica

In the first years of the 21st century, Brazilian Jewellers ''Amsterdam Sauer'' created a replica of the original Imperial Crown of D. Pedro II. The creation of the replica, using 19th-century techniques not employed nowadays, took 18 months. The replica is on display at Amsterdam Sauer's Museum of Gemstones and Rare Minerals in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro.Amsterdam Sauer – The Source of quality precious stones and fine gemstone jewelry from Brazil
The replica is heavier and larger than the original crown. It weighs and is set with 596 stones totaling 911.84 carats.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imperial Crown Of Brazil Brazilian monarchy Empire of Brazil

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

National symbols of Brazil