Treasury of National Jewels

The Treasury of National Jewels occupies the vault level of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Ferdowsi Avenue in central Tehran, and holds the royal gem collection accumulated by Iranian dynasties from the Safavid period through the Qajar and Pahlavi eras. The core of the collection was assembled as state treasure rather than personal royal property, with major additions following Safavid-era trade and tribute in the 16th and 17th centuries, and further growth after Nader Shah's 1739 campaign into India, which brought pieces including the Darya-ye Noor diamond, one of the largest pink diamonds in the world, into Iranian hands. Qajar rulers added further pieces through the 19th century, and the collection was formally transferred to the Central Bank in the 1930s under Reza Shah as backing for the national currency, a role it partly retains today. Exhibits include the Kiani Crown and Pahlavi Crown, jewel-encrusted thrones such as the Peacock Throne (Takht-e Tavous) and Naderi Throne, and the Globe of Jewels, a solid gold globe set with nearly 51,000 gems. Display is organized by object type -- crowns, thrones, individual gems, ceremonial regalia -- within a single vault gallery rather than chronologically, reflecting the collection's origin as accumulated state treasure rather than a curated historical narrative. Security is correspondingly strict, with the treasury open only a few hours a week and no photography permitted inside the vault. The pieces themselves are original and unrestored in the conservation sense, though the vault's climate and security systems have been modernized to preserve them.