Conserving the Honours of Scotland

In 2023, Historic Environment Scotland embarked on an exciting project to conserve the Honours of Scotland. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to analyse, document and conserve Britain’s oldest crown jewels to a level of detail never attempted previously.  The priceless Crown of Scotland, Sceptre, and Sword of State are made of gold, silver, and precious gems, and are objects of immense significance that still play an active and important role in Scottish public life.  

Before any remedial conservation treatment¹ could begin, Senior Metals Conservator Reed Hudson carried out detailed research exploring the creation of the Honours and how they had been cared for in the past. Following this, each item was examined using a microscope to inspect even the smallest of details. This gave a clear picture of their pre-treatment condition and revealed several traces of their tumultuous history. Though made of enduring materials, their age and historic use has made them very fragile. Tarnish, dust, and areas of wear had built up naturally over time. Once assessed, individual treatment plans were created that considered the unique characteristics of each piece.  

The Sceptre is believed to have been a Papal gift to James IV in 1494. Conserving the Sceptre was the most straightforward treatment as it mainly involved reducing the dark tarnish that was obscuring the gilded surface. Much of this was done under magnification using sable-hair brushes and soft cotton swabs, rolled individually to accommodate the size of the area being cleaned. The beautiful decorations on the Sceptre were clearly revealed as the tarnish was removed.  

The Sword of State is also believed to have been a Papal gift to James IV, in 1507. Crafted of gilt silver, iron, and steel, it is the most fragile of all the Honours. The silver around some areas of the hilt is very thin, and the blade was broken during the 1650s. Evidence of the historic repair made to the blade is still visible. Much like the Sceptre, conservation of the Sword mainly entailed clearing away areas of tarnish which had built up over the years. Given the fragility and complexity of the Sword this was a much trickier process, however, which required a combination of several techniques. Along with the traditional cleaning methods, a method called localised electrolytic reduction was also used. This uses liquid electrolytes and a small electric current to change the tarnish, which is usually silver sulphide or silver chloride, back into the original silver.  

The Crown of Scotland was made for James V in 1540, incorporating parts of an earlier Scottish Crown. As the only one of the Honours made of solid gold rather than gilt silver, there was no tarnish to worry about. Except for general cleaning to remove any dust or grease that might have built up over the years, the focus of this treatment was to stabilise some of the decorative features. This was needed due to the Crown’s construction, whereby the different components had been joined together using a variety of techniques. Great care was taken to examine every fitting to make sure it was still stable, and adjust them as needed.