In J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Silmarillion, the three great jewels are called the Silmarils.
The Silmarils are three sacred jewels created by Fëanor, the most gifted of the Noldorin Elves. They contain the mingled light of the Two Trees of Valinor, Telperion and Laurelin, before those trees were destroyed. Because of their beauty and unique origin, the jewels become the central objects of desire in much of Tolkien’s mythology.
Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, steals the Silmarils and sets them in his iron crown. Fëanor and his sons swear a terrible oath to recover them, leading to rebellion, exile, and generations of conflict among Elves, Men, and other peoples. The resulting story gives The Silmarillion much of its tragic structure.
The Silmarils are not the same as the Rings of Power or the palantíri. Tolkien’s posthumously published book is a collection of interconnected mythic histories, rather than a single conventional quest novel. Its title refers directly to these jewels and the wars fought over them.