Historic Versions
The original St. Edward's Crown, used at the coronation of English monarchs, was considered a holy relic, kept in the saint's shrine at Westminster Abbey, and therefore not worn by sovereigns at any other time. Instead, a "great crown" comprising a circlet of gold with crosses and fleurs-de-lys atop its rim, but without arches (an open crown), was a king's usual headgear on state occasions until the time of Henry V, who is depicted in statuary and illustrations with an "imperial crown", i.e., the great crown with gold arches added (also called a closed crown). Arches were a symbol of sovereignty, and by this point in history, the King of England was being celebrated as rex in regno suo est imperator (an emperor within his own domains), owing obedience to no one but God (unlike some continental rulers, who owed fealty to more powerful kings, or to the Holy Roman Emperor).
Either Henry VII or his son and successor Henry VIII may have caused a somewhat more elaborate version of the imperial crown to be made, which is first described in detail in an inventory of royal jewels in 1521, and again in 1532, 1550, 1574, and 1597, and was carefully depicted in a painting by Daniel Mytens of King Charles I in 1631. This Tudor version of the imperial crown had more pearls and jewels than are indicated in illustrations of the medieval version, and the centre petals of each of the five fleurs-de-lys were carved with medallions representing Christ, the Virgin Mary, and St. George. The gold in the crown weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces.
After the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Tudor crown was destroyed and its valuable elements sold by parliamentary officers of the Commonwealth government. They received 180 pounds sterling for the gold, and about 1,000 pounds for the jewels, which included 58 rubies, 28 diamonds, 19 sapphires, 2 emeralds, and 168 pearls. Upon the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, a new imperial crown was fashioned for his son and successor Charles II, and other versions were created for succeeding monarchs. Yet another version was created for the coronation of the young Queen Victoria in 1838, which became the basis for the present crown.
Read more about this topic: Imperial State Crown
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