(Order of Haft Paykar). Instituted 1955 by the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A Grand Cross Set comprising a badge, in silver gilt, featuring a blue enamel field with seven small five-point stars, surrounded by a white enamel ring with flower details, an ornate exterior pattern with small fan pattern with white enamel details in each knee, a red enamelled crown at 12 o’clock, the reverse is plain, marked on the suspension ring with AB&C maker mark denoting Arthus Bertrand and 800 silver fineness, measures 54.8mm (w) x 53.5mm (h), weighs 33.0 grams, small enamel chip in the white enamel ring, small flaws, a scarce decoration in which remains in extremely fine condition.
The Star of the Order, in silver gilt, featuring a blue enamel field with seven small five-point stars, surrounded by a white enamel ring with flower details, an ornate exterior pattern with small fan pattern with white enamel details in each knee, a red enamelled crown at 12 o’clock, the reverse with a single vertical pin, the pin marked with AB&C maker mark denoting Arthus Bertrand and 800 silver fineness, measures 68.4mm (w) x 68.7mm (h), weighs 66.1 grams, small enamels chips to the red crown and small flaws to the white detailing on the exterior ring, a scarce decoration in which remains in extremely fine condition.
Footnote: The Order was created in honour of Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, the second wife of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and is named after the 7 Celestial Bodies, or 7 Sisters, a cluster of 7 stars in the constellation of Taurus. The I Class is awarded to ruling queens, queen consorts of reigning sovereigns, or to wives of male heads of state.