art darts

                      DAZZLED

The most glittering of the events keyed to the Queen's Jubilee must be the redisplay of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London which opens to the public today. Just have a look above at the top of the seventeenth century sceptre held by the monarch during the coronation. It holds the 563 carat Star of Africa diamond. Oh and its practical too. The diamond pops out to be worn separately as a pendant on other occasions.Fuzzy image though it is its knock out grandeur still comes across. The Star of Africa is also called the Cullinan I diamond. It is the second largest diamond in the world and was one of nine gems cut from the more than 3000 carat original Cullinan stone. The Cullinan II is also on display. It sits smack in front of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain.















  Yesterday morning the Princess Royal opened this exceedingly popular tourist attraction. Last night DeBeers, its lead sponsor, hosted a party and private view chiefly for specialists especially those employed at the various Royal Palaces. I couldn't go to the 8 a.m. press preview but DeBeers p.r. kindly invited me to the evening view. It was a privilege and a treat. One of the seldom mentioned but widely enjoyed perks of journalism is going to private views where it is possible to see and enjoy works of art in the absence of crowds. In this case the first of the privileges was the twilight into night visit to the Tower of London itself.



                                         




Guests were entertained at a reception in the former armoury which is now a restaurant. What with the champagne (and canapés) all was convivial with chatter and laughter to match. But outside all was silent and the Tower was magnificent.Presumably the famous ravens are early to bed. Candles lit the way across the long cobbled approach between the outer walls of the fortress and its buildings. The White Tower, scene of so much misery, now stands elegant and somehow pristine in the moonlight.





 What could be a better preparation for the sight of the Coronation Regalia when it was time to make our way across the courtyard, through a door like an enormous entrance to a bank vault and see the often eye popping gems. An airport like people mover will take tourists to this most popular of attractions slowly but surely alongside the display cabinets but last night they were still and we could stand and study or ogle as long as we liked. 


  It is perfectly pointless to say that the Cullinan diamonds are vulgar. Rocks of this size are intended to signify
status and power and that is the job they most certainly did. There is much music and images of pageantry including film of the last coronation, that of Queen Elizabeth II almost sixty years ago, well before most of the visitors were born. The gems sparkle as if the event had been sprinkled with star dust.And here in the Tower of the principal sources of that light. It was meant to enchant and impress and to remind those present and all those to whom they spoke and wrote of majesty and might. In a constitutional monarchy the message is diluted and that is all to the good; but the messengers are still magnificent-- and for those with a weakness for such things at least--a pleasure to see.


AND ALSO:   For those who want to own a symbol of power and status all of their own, on May 14 in Geneva



 Christie's will be auctioning 70 lots of jewels--contemporary and antique and just plain big time rocks-- belonging to philanthropist Lily Safra. Among them are 18 pieces--the largest every single offering--made by JAR, the Bronx born --like your blogger--Paris based Joel Arthur Rosenthal, creator of extraordinary and very expensive gem- set objects of art to wear. The sale is estimated to make a minimum of $20 million all of which will go to 20 of Mrs. Safra's charities.