From the letters again are suspended twenty-four pendeloques in
gold, and five Pearls, which support twenty-four pear-shaped Sapphires,
forming a fringe all round the circumference. Lowest of all comes a
very magnificent Latin cross of truly elegant design, four inches long,
set with eight enormous Pearls* and six equally splendid Sapphires, and
having three pendants from the arms and foot cut out of square pastes. In this cross the gems are set à jour ; the
hack of their collets being filled in with a rose-ornament in filigree.
The settings themselves are exquisite, the claws holding the stones
being fleur-de-lys. This cross is the finest example in existence of
ancient goldsmith's work.
The second crown, supposed to have been his queen's, is set with Emeralds, Sapphires,
Opals, large Pearls (fifty-four in number), and has a fringe like the
first, but of crystals f and pastes. It has a pendent cross also set
with Sapphires, but which is quite plain in form and of small intrinsic
value.
The
others are much simpler, and embellished with but few and inferior
stones; they were the coronets of contemporary counts and barons.
Three of these coronets present a novelty in make ; an open grating
with gems set at each intersection of the bars; from each hangs a flat
*
The Pearls are aa big as ordinary cherries, the Sapphires of the best
colour, those in the middle row as large as pigeons' eggs, all cabochons, the centre one very protuberant.
t
I strongly suspect from their shape that some of these " crystals " are
in reality rough diamonds: that stone could hardly have been omitted
from this assemblage of all that was most precious amongst the spoils
of Borne.
