Persian culture is rich and deep. I find the topic enigmatic, mysterious and seductive. No wonder I have always gravitated towards learning more about it. As a jewelry designer, maker, a professor of jewelry and a bit of a jewelry history buff, there is so much that I find to be poetic in Persian culture - literature, art, crafts, architecture, deep sense of mathematics and of course the beautiful and all immersive world of its poetry. And there is much to learn...always!

In the past I have authored posts on, Top Ten - Largest Diamonds Discovered In The World, Splendors of Mughal India, The Magnificent Maharajas Of India, Mystery & History Of Marquise Diamond Cut, Ór - Ireland's Gold, The Legendary Cullinan Diamond, Bejeweled Persia - Historic Jewelry From The Qajar Dynasty, Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds, Type II Diamonds, Green Diamonds, Red Diamonds and more. Being a curious artist that I am, over years, I have spent countless hours in self-driven studies on diamond, jewelry history and research. All good stuff, as I have accumulated a great deal of interesting knowledge, something that definitely informs my jewelry design and other artistic creations. I wrote these blogs for simple reason - to share my collected knowledge with all who are interested, so that more can benefit from it. Take a look and enjoy!

Now, getting back to the beauty of the Persian history! Its a VAST topic to say the least, I have tried my best to summarize what in my view are some of the most important Qajar jewels and artifacts that people should know about. Let's go...!

QAJAR DYNASTY (1779-1924): An overview

Source: {Maryam Ekhtiar, Department of Islamic Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art & Marika Sardar, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University}

After the turmoil and strife of the eighteenth century in Persia, the rise to power of the Qajar dynasty (1779–1924) signaled a new peace and unity for the country. The Qajar shahs relied heavily on the visual arts to confirm and solidify their new position. One aspect of their public image tied them to the long history of Persia and its ancient dynasties, but another component of their identity was as modernizers and reformers. This involved both changes to the government and the acceptance of new technologies such as the railroad and the telegraph. In the arts, this meant support of the new techniques of lithography and photography, as well as innovative applications of existing forms in Iran such as portraiture and oil painting.

THE QAJAR JEWELS

The Qajar jewelry and artifacts are like time capsules, the physical aesthetics and the technical way they were made had a lasting impact of how jewelry developed, and influenced other cultures. For the sake of ease and simplicity, I am going to categorize them here. [Note: I have tried my best to attribute images to their creators and original sources. Please contact me if you know the source of images that are not attributed.]

74.53 carat cushion cut fancy yellow diamond, set in a jewel from the late 19th century. A Qajar Dynasty diamond and jewel, a rare vestige of the Persian dynasty’s great passion for gemstones. Images: Sotheby's