Hardsilver Crown

The symbol of the power and continuity of the Kilthian realm, the Hardsilver Crown is a crown worn in the royal palace by the Kilthian monarch. Reputed to be hundreds of years old, the crown is made of an unknown material that shines like silver but is harder than steel. A large crown with a dominating silhouette, the crown is shaped like an octagon with round raised and gemmed tops. The bottom of the crown is engraved with a variety of old Kilthian scripts. Though reputed to be nearly indestructible, the crown is kept under heavy guard and only worn inside the royal palace of the Kilthian capital, for if it were lost or destroyed there would be no way replace it.

History

Estimated to have been crafted by a dwarven master some 800 years ago, the Hardsilver Crown was since worn by the Kings of Kilth as a symbol of their reign. Shaped from metals with today unknown sources and properties, the frame of the crown has been unchanged since its forging, and it is indeed doubtful if there is a smith in the land today that could change it. Some of the eight jewels on top of the crown have been replaced however.
Around 600 years ago, the crown was lost during a sacking of the dwarven capital, and taken as spoils of war by an eastern invader. There, the crown remained in a vault until 410 years ago, when the Kilthians attacked their neighbor and recovered the crown. Since then, the crown has once more been worn by the Kilthian kings, but the many calamities of the intervening years have ensured that the secrets of the crown's construction have remained lost.

Materials and Components

The "hardsilver" of the crown is a shining, silvery substance that neither tarnishes nor scratches, and had nary a blemish on it when recovered from the east by the victorious Kilthians. The crown itself uses a remarkable amount of the substance, and the crown is heavy on the head, but still lighter than one might expect given its great size and silhouette. 
The crown is engraved throughout, and despite the fine engravings, they are visible on the surface from a good distance away as the light plays on the silvery surface. The tops of each of the eight sides have evenly sized slots for gems. Currently, the crown includes a large diamond, a red ruby, a blue sapphire, and a green emerald, while between the four precious stones there is a large tanzanite, a shining white opal, a sky blue topaz, and a peridot.

Significance

Being a unique, irreplaceable item, the crown is the most precious property of the Kilthian monarch. The Kilthians have in the past gone to war to recover it, and would surely do so again if needed. Holding the Hardsilver Crown lays claim to a legacy of dwarven royalty from a millenium ago, and is a crucial part of the symbology of the Kilthian crown.
From a material perspective, the existence of the hardsilver crown suggests that somewhere in the Kilthian realm this magnificent material could be found and mined, and perhaps shaped into other items of great value. However, others suggest that the original substance of the crown was silver or steel, and was blessed by the Stone God to shape it into its current form.

Item type

Jewelry / Valuable

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Kilth

Weight

2.13kg