Czech Crown Jewels Go On Display

Imagine having the crown shown above placed on your head. You can’t do that but you can get a rare glimpse at the ornate creation. The crown is part of the Czech crown jewels currently on display at Prague castle. The gold crown is studded with 96 precious stones including rubies and sapphires. The AFP reports that it was first worn by the Holy Roman emperor and king of Bohemia, Charles IV of Luxembourg, for his Prague coronation in 1347. The crown is being shown along the the scepter, imperial orb and other priceless objects. Czechs and foreign visitors have only been allowed to view the jewels nine times in the last century. This time it is to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Czech Republic, the 90th anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia and the re-election of President Vaclav Klaus and the object will be display for 11 days.
These beautifully summery bangles are the perfect accessory to bare tanned arms. The bangles are made of solid brass with a painstaking decoration of ostrich eggshell. After master artisans piece together ostrich eggshell shards to create these bracelets each bracelet goes through an elaborate process to enhance and protect the mosaic. The eggshell shards are collected after the ostrich chick hatches so no birds were harmed in the making of these designs.
