The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นโบราณมงคลนพรัตนราชวราภรณ์ |
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Order of the Nine Gems (Breast Star)
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Awarded by the King of Thailand |
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Eligibility | Military and civilian order |
Status | Currently constituted |
Sovereign | King Vajiralongkorn |
Grades | Knight |
Statistics | |
Established | 1851 |
First induction | 1851 |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | Order of the Royal House of Chakri |
Next (lower) | Order of Chula Chom Klao |
Ribbon bar of the Order of the Nine Gems |
The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems (Thai: เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นโบราณมงคลนพรัตนราชวราภรณ์; rtgs: Khrueang Ratcha Itsariyaphon An Pen Boranna Mongkhon Noppha Rat Ratcha Waraphon) was established in 1851 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand). The order is bestowed upon the members of the Thai royal family and distinguished high-ranking officials who have given service to the kingdom and who are Buddhist. Members of the order are entitled to use the postnominals น.ร.
The order is based on the model of European orders of chivalry and merit. The nine gems are the Thai form of the original Hindu royal amulet known as the navaratna and in its original form consisted of a ring of gold bearing the nine gems awarded to a Thai general after he won an important military victory and is also part of the royal insignia given the Thai king at his coronation. This ring still is part of the insignia of the order and worn by the male members of the order. The nine precious stones of the royal amulet constitute an integral part of both the badge and the star of the order.
The nine gems and the corresponding benefits that they bestow on their bearers are:
The decoration consists of a single class (knight). The insignia are: