Indeed is a shameful story for all the reasons you pointed and probably much more. As Queen Margrethe II of Denmark once said 'we do not count the carats, we count the centuries'. The crown jewels are part of our history. However I have the feeling that not everything was properly explained. As a curiosity I have to say that supposedly the big diamond on top of the carved knob cane can be detached and worn separately (I think as a pendant). I'm going to try to post some more pictures of the crown jewels.