The Museu Do Tesouro Real (Royal Treasure Museum), Lisbon
Museum HighlightThe relatively new museum is not only a great place to see historic treasures but also for academic and museum curator research, gemmology, and royal historians.
The Palácio Nacional da Ajuda (Ajuda National Palace), home to the Portuguese Royal Family until 1910 when Portugal became a Republic, with its vast collections of art, sculptures, and furniture of historical significance, continues to act as a state building hosting official ceremonies for the Presidency of the Republic and the Portuguese Government.
The Museu do Tesouro Real opened to the public in 2022 within the recently completed west wing of the neo-classical Ajuda National Palace, designed in contemporary style by architect João Carlos Santos, and is now the permanent home of the Royal Treasures.
Sarah Caldwell Steele pointing out the difference between French Jet and Hematite
As one would expect, with over 1,000 historic pieces—set with more than 22,000 gems, over 80% of which are diamonds—including the Portuguese Crown Jewels, there are many security steps to take before entry is granted.
ONE OF THE LARGEST VAULTS IN THE WORLD
Spanning three floors separated by gently sloping ramps, the museum is one of the largest vaults in the world, but perhaps the only one with a fabulous gold-color façade (Figure 1).
The museum’s collections are organized in 11 sections: “Gold & Diamonds from Brazil,” “Coins & Medals of the Crown,” “Jewels,” “Orders of Knighthood & Orders of Merit,” “Royal Insignia,” “The Crown’s Silver,” “Private Collections,” “Diplomatic Gifts,” “The Royal Chapel,” “Round Table,” and “The Treasure’s Travels.”
As one enters, a detailed chronological timeline detailing significant moments and events in Portugal’s history greets you as you enter level one. Portugal’s history with Brazil is fascinating when exploring the diamonds and gemstones sections later on.
Another gentle ramp leads to level two, allowing easy viewing of each collection. The jewels and objects are displayed in a darkened, contemporary space, and the individual pieces are well lit, with descriptions of each numbered piece below. There are touch screen video screens with further information for larger collections.
Here are some of the things one can expect to see in the collections.
THE JEWELS COLLECTION
The jewelry collection includes the Crown Jewels that were owned by the State, worn exclusively by the sovereigns, and the Royal Insignia. There are also many privately owned jewels and jewelry objects from the royal family.
One of those pieces is the Bodice Ornament (Figure 4), a ribbon-shaped bow stomacher featuring diamonds and Colombian emeralds set in silver, circa mid-18th century. What is particularly noteworthy about this piece is how large it is and how well matched the emeralds are. The central hexagonal emerald weighing 47.91 carats and the 30 emeralds set in the loops (weighing from 2-3 carats to 13 carats) constitute an unusual set given their very high gemological quality, for example, in terms of color saturation and purity, with some exceptional examples having almost no inclusions visible to the naked eye.
There is also the Castellani Brooch given to Maria Pia of Savoy by the people of Naples, on her marriage to King Louis I of Portugal. It’s one of the pieces the Portuguese government bought back for the museum in 2015. Another highlight is a Rococco tobacco box encrusted with 951 diamonds and 240 marquise-cut emeralds, commissioned by King José from a jeweler of French King Louis XV.
ROYAL INSIGNIA
The insignia play a crucial role in the acclamation of a new monarch in Portugal, as they were not “crowned,” per se. The crown was placed beside them, and the sceptre, mantle, and other objects also played their part during the ritual. The diamond, ruby, and emerald badge worn by the Head of State of Portugal in his capacity of Grand Master of all three Military Orders of Christ, Avis, and Sant’Iago is seen…