Historical Jewels of Europe Online Trivia | Difficult History

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The so-called 'Crown of Charlemagne', the emperor crowned in 800AD, sparkled in Austria. Containing jewels of many kinds, it also featured the portraits of two historical figures. Name them.

Answer: David and Solomon

The biblical kings David and Solomon are depicted in typical Byzantine fashion. Studded with opals, rubies, emeralds, pearls and amethysts, the crown was actually made for the coronation of Otto I in 962. When Hitler annexed Austria, he ordered the crown brought to Nuremberg.

After the war, the belief was that the crown had been thrown into a lake but investigations revealed it in a copper chest behind a sealed wall in a bunker. It is on display in the Hofburg, Vienna.

2. In the 19th century, Queen Maria Christina of Bourbon-Sicily had her portrait painted wearing a dazzling necklace. What combination of precious stones did it feature?

Answer: Sapphires and diamonds

The necklace, auctioned by Christies' in 1982, has large sapphire droplets, an oval centre sapphire and smaller stones, all individually surrounded by diamonds. As widow, Maria Christina married her bodyguard and was exiled from Spain.

3. Charles IV (of the House of Luxembourg) ruled Bohemia in the 14th century and was elected Holy Roman Emperor. He ordered a crown for the reliquary of St Wencelas' skull. How many gems were used in the crown?

Answer: 94

The crown was crafted from pure gold and decorated with nineteen sapphires, forty-four spinels, thirty emerals and one ruby. Don't forget the twenty pearls, too. It was last used for the coronation of Czech king Ferdinand V in 1836 and is now displayed in St Vitus' Cathedral in Prague.

4. Hungary's sceptre, orb and crown belonged to St Stephen I. Atop the sceptre is a crystal ball carved with what figures?

Answer: Lions

The crystal ball with the lions may have been carved in Egypt. The royal orb is silver gilt, topped by a double cross. First called Holy in 1256, the crown was stolen by the poet and Hungarian nationalist Louis Kossuth in 1848 and buried beneath a tree. The recovered crown's cross was twisted and remains so to this day.

5. Portugal's first king reigned in the 12th century. Hundreds of years later, in 1848, an eye-catching diadem was added to the royal collection. The diamonds were set in what form?

Answer: Stars

The starry diadem was made for Queen Maria Pia of Savoy. Known for her excessive spending, she told Parliament: "If you want a queen, you have to pay for her." Also in the Portuguese collection is a brooch of Queen Maria Anne of Austria, set with 300 carats of emeralds and 200 carats of diamonds.

6. Known as the Iron Crown, it is said to contain a relic of a nail of the Cross. To what now-defunct European monarchy's collection did the crown belong?

Answer: Italy

Italy has few jewels left. Those not taken by invaders were pawned to finance wars. The Iron Crown, used for coronation of emperors, was seized by Napoleon, who promptly removed the gems and inserted imitations. The crown is now in Monza.

7. In the 18th century the regent of France paid an unheard-of sum for a diamond weighing 140 carats. Queen Marie-Antoinette loved wearing it in her hair. What is the name of the gem now kept in the Louvre?

Answer: Regent

The Regent diamond's recorded story starts when it was smuggled from India and eventually shone in the French queen's hairdo. In 1792 a total of 8000 diamonds were stolen from the royal family. Later found hidden in an attic, the Regent was set in Napoleon's coronational sword.

The Regent and Sancy diamonds are both in the Louvre, but the stolen Mirror of Portugal is still at large. La Belle Helene has no royal connections, found in 1951 off Africa's Skeleton Coast.

8. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Duchy of Saxony produced a plaque of a bird with diamond wings and an emerald heart. When the Polish king awarded the decoration connected with the breathtaking bird, what did he award?

Answer: Order of the White Eagle

The plaque belonged to Augustus the Strong, elected King of Poland, who instituted the Order in 1705. The emblem of the white eagle originated when the legendary founder of Poland saw an eagle with the rays of the setting sun on its wings. Still Poland's highest decoration, people such as Queen Elizabeth II, Ronald Reagan and Benito Mussolini count under the elect few.

9. Bavaria once owned the Palatinate Pearl mounted between two diamond snakes on a brooch. What makes the pearl unique?

Answer: Part white, part black

Most probably a freak of nature, the strange pearl's origins are unknown. Palatine count Charles Theodore brought it with him to Munich in the late 18th century.

Other outstanding masterpieces of Bavaria include a hat brooch of diamonds and rubies and the regalia made for Maximillian I when the duchy was promoted to a kingdom in 1806.

10. Empress Catherine the Great of Russia refused to buy a huge 189 carat diamond, citing the price as excessive. When her lover later presented it to her as a gift, she accepted with pleasure. What is the name of the diamond set in her coronation sceptre?

Answer: Orloff

The sceptre with the Orloff diamond is on display at the Kremlin in Moscow.

Vainer Briolette is a yellow diamond belonging to the sultan of Brunei, while the Florentine used to be worn by the imperial Austrian family. Wittelsbach is a rare dark blue diamond that travelled between the royal houses of France, Spain, Austria and Bavaria. It is now owned privately.

Source: Author sterretjie101

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Historical Jewels of Europe Trivia Quiz

The Tower of London guards England's gems but other European royal jewels can be viewed on the Continent. The information is from Prince Michael of Greece's book, "Crown Jewels".

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>