This listing is for ring which serves as the vessel for Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiary, more famously known as Her Majesty The Queen of Iran.  She was sometimes referred to as “the Princess with sad eyes,” or “the Queen of sorrow.”  Soraya was born in Esfahan, Persia (Iran) in 1932.  Her mother was named Eva from Germany.  Her father, Khalil Esfandiary Bakhtiary, was a well-to-do Iranian diplomat, therefore Soraya saw much of the world, particularly Europe.  He was the Ambassador to Germany for a time.  She was befriended by Princess Shams of Iran, and soon introduced to Mohammed Reza Shah, the Shah of Iran, who was ending his first marriage.  It was imperative that “The Shah,” as he was known, remarry in haste as he had no male heir to  inherit the throne.  It took him little convincing, as Soraya had movie-star looks, and was absolutely charming.  Soraya met briefly with the Queen mother at the royal palace and 24 hours later the engagement was announced.  She was just 18.  

 Prior to their wedding she was stricken with typhoid, and was bedridden for weeks, postponing the wedding.  Instead of bemoaning this, it is said The Shah left lavish jewels on her pillow.  The wedding took place on February 12, 1951.  Grand, to say the least, and Soraya was now known as Soraya, Queen consort of Iran.

  The couple were simply besotted with one another.  As the years passed it was discovered that Soraya was unable to bear a child.  This became took an immediate toll on her marriage, as an heir was necessary, and it could not be due to The Shah, as he had a daughter with his first wife.  Inevitably, despite their love for each other, the marriage would end.  They divorced in 1958, and The Shah cared so deeply for her, her title would be just as grand: Her Imperial Highness Princess Soraya of Iran.

Sadly however, divorce required her to leave Iran (she was exiled to Switzerland) as well as the man she loved deeply.  At 26 years old, she began a new life in a new country – alone.  It is important to note, The Shah supported her for the rest of her days.  Those close to the royal family said that he never stopped loving her, and he would have never divorced her but for the pressure to provide an heir.

 Soraya was enamored with Hollywood, and fell easily into the role of socialite.  She had a brief career as an actress, known simply as Soraya, and starred in the 1965 Italian movie “The Three Faces,” where she made and began a relationship with the film’s director, Franco Indovina.  For a short moment, it looked as if the gods were smiling again on Soraya, but Indovina died in a plane crash in 1972, and Soraya succumbed to depression. She ended her acting career and moved to France, and became increasingly reclusive and died, alone, at the age of 69.  She is buried in a simply marked grave with her family in Westfriedhof, Munich, Germany.

 After her death, French songwriter Francoise Mallet-Jorris wrote Je veux pleurer comme Soraya (“I Want to Cry Like Soraya.”)  A rose was named for her, and a film about her and the Shah. 

 Her passing was shrouded in confusion and, sometimes, scandal.  She suffered from depression long before Indovina’s death, however it was not spoken about except to her most trusted circle, particularly her younger brother, Bijan, who died just one week after Soraya, in deep sorrow.  She will share far more with her next companion, and I will share this information with them as well. 

Soraya could be anyone you may see in a fine boutique, the opera, among the rich and famous in Monte Carlo.  She loved that life, but she never truly felt part of it.  At every turn, in one way or another, she was turned away or was on embraced because she was Soraya, the former Queen of Iran.  She could also be someone at a baseball game, impeccably dressed yet eating a hot dog with everything on it, or hosting a Tupperware party who sells out of everything because of her witty banter and a laugh that makes everyone else laugh.

 There is so much about Soraya that is not listed here, but her background was necessary to be told in order that she was understood, and making it easier for her next companion to connect with her.

 She is well suited for a companion of either gender. Clearly, she has amazing abilities to pull confidence out of her companion, but also help them better appreciate themselves, find their gifts and draw upon them.  She is the personification of confidence, as well as beauty.  Beauty starts from within.  One who sees themselves upon a pedestal shall be seen that way by others.  However, she knows many ”tricks” and “short cuts” to radiate beauty, refinement, attract lovers and/or “keepers.”  She knows just how to catapult to the top, and can instill this in her companion.  She is (figuratively) jumping up and down in anticipation of joining her companion, and sharing all that she knows.  This gift to her companion will bring her endless joy, she says.
 

The vessel is a gorgeous ring with a faceted oval pink quartz set in a unique, intricate design in black gold.  It is size 8.  As always any vessel may be changed to another at no cost.  Or a direct bind may be chosen.  If direct bind is chosen any shipping charge will be refunded.

Many blessings!