Silmarils

The Silmarils [1] are three gems crafted in the First Age by Fëanor using the essence of the Two Trees of Valinor - Telperion and Laurelin. The Silmarils are considered to be one of the most precious artifacts made by the elves. The gems were coveted by many. The Silmarils are also called Silmarilli, the great jewels, the three jewels, and the jewels of Fëanor. From Fëanor, the jewels have gone through the hands of Morgoth, Thingol, Beren, Dior, Lúthien, Eärendil, Elwing, Eönwë, Maedhros, and Maglor.​

In the Year of the Trees, during the Noontide of Valinor, Fëanor created the Silmarils. The Silmarils have some light that both Trees of Valinor can provide Laurelin the Gold and Telperion the Silver. These two trees were very special as they were created by Yavanna, the Vala who is known as the Giver of Fruits and Nienna, the Vala who was responsible for mercy and grief. They say that no bloodshed in Arda could destroy the Silmarils. Only the Valar can break them open and release the light from the Two Trees. The Queen of Arda, Varda, [2] hallowed the Silmarils so that not a single mortal flesh, unclean hands, or anything wickedness could come close to the gems. Fëanor used to wear them over his brow during feasts and other special occasions. Everyone immediately marveled at the sight of these beautiful gems. But as Fëanor began to be more suspicious of his relatives, particularly his half-siblings, he no longer wore them openly. He only allowed his sons and his father to view the Silmarils. When Fëanor was exiled to Formenos for attacking Fingolfin.

The Silmarils were stored in an iron chamber. Melkor, who was seeking revenge against the Valar and the elves, destroyed the Two Trees with the help of Ungoliant, the giant spider. With the Two Trees gone, only the Silmarils had the remaining light of the Two Trees. The Valar asked Fëanor to give up the Silmarils to them so that they could use the light to restore the Two Trees. However, Fëanor refused this request, probably still feeling bitter because the Valar put him in exile. The news came that Melkor did not only destroy the Two Trees, but he also killed Finwë, the High King of the Ñoldor, who was also Fëanor's father. Aside from the murder, Melkor was able to steal all the gems including the Silmarils. After this, Melkor fled to Middle-earth. Melkor was renamed to Morgoth. Morgoth was unable to touch the Silmarils as it burned his hands, so he used the Silmarils as embedded stones for his crown. Fëanor was angered by these events.

He and his seven sons swore revenge to anyone who withheld the Silmaril from them. Fëanor convinced a huge group of Ñoldor to travel with him to Middle-earth and pursue Morgoth. The arrival of this group in the Middle-earth marked the First Age of Middle-earth. One of the Silmarils was eventually recovered by the lovers Beren and Lúthien. However, this was done at a significant loss. The Sindarin king Thingol sent the lovers on the impossible quest to recover the Silmarils for them to marry. Instead of returning the recovered Silmaril to the sons of Fëanor, Thingol had the gem stored in the Nauglamir, a cherished dwarven necklace. However, the dwarves also coveted the Silmaril and killed Thingol.​

Beren soon caught up with the dwarves and took back the Nauglamir. Lúthien wore the necklace until her second death. The Silmaril was passed to Elwing, the granddaughter of Lúthien and Beren. Her husband, Eärendil, sought the help of the Valar when the sons of Fëanor started harassing their family for the Silmaril. As a desperate attempt for peace, he offered the Silmaril to the Valar. The Valar set the Silmaril in the skies where it can be seen as a star. The two other Silmarils were recovered at the end of the War of Wrath. But they were stolen by two of Fëanor's sons, Maedhros and Maglor. Although they believe that the gems were their birthright, the gems burned their hands as they had burned Morgoth's hands. As he faced great pain because of the Silmaril, Maedhros threw himself and his Silmaril in a fiery pit. His brother, Maglor, threw his Silmaril in the sea. Because of this, the Silmarils remained in the three realms of Arda - the sky, the earth, and the sea.​