Palantíri
The Palantíri . ( Those who watch far and wide.)
Seven Stones.
Gwahaedir. ( Early abandoned name.)
Fëanor made them in Eldamar in Aman in the Days of the Threes, it says " ..and other crystals he made also, wherein things far away could be seen small but clear, as with the eyes of the eagles of Manwë.."
Elendil brought them from Númenor to Middle-earth in the Downfall of Númenor in the S.A.3319. The Palantíri
was given to Elendil`s heir as a gift from the Eldar. The Palantíri looked like; in rest; to be made of
solid glass or crystal in deep black hue, and perfectly smooth spheres, the size was for the smallest about 1 feet
but the great stones in Amon Sûl and Osgiliath,
were much larger and so heavy they could not be lifted by one man. They were standing on round tables made of black
marble.
The use of the stones were as follows. The small stones could only "connect" to each other one to one, a third could not break in or interfere but had to wait until the connection was finished. Only the great stones was able to break into an already established connection. They were all set with poles corresponding to the earth poles in order to be functional, if they by accident should be removed from the pole to pole corresponding they would not work and had to be set right again in both vertical and horizontal. If the user wanted to look eastward he would have to look in it from the west. The smaller stones was fixed at a direction but they could be reset, the great you could walk around like sweeping the horizon. It demanded a great will to use the Palantíri to their fullest, everybody could look in them and see what there might be in its line of sight but only those with a strong will was able to enlarge specific things, objects or humans concentrating only on this or keep another strong will in another stone from shoving what he might desire.
1 Age.
Hardly anything is said of the Palantíri in the first age but it must be thought, due to the account
of the year 3319 of the second age where it is told "Elendil and his sons escape and fly east with nine
ships to middle-earth. They bring with them the Seven Stones or Palantíri, gifts of the Eldar of Avallónë" that the seven
Palantíri were brought to Avallónë after their making in the Valian Years as a gift from Fëanor
and the Noldor of Aman to the Teleri or after the Kinslaying ( perhaps as a wergild ) The true answer is not given.
2 Age.
When the Palantíri were given to the Númenorians is not said but from the account of the second age it would most likely be before the division of the Númenorians in the second era of Númenor.
S.A.3319. The Palantíri came from Númenor to Middle-earth with Elendil.
Elendil divided the seven Palantíri between his sons and himself so that two was kept in his kingdom, Arnor, and four went with his sons to Gondor while the last was placed in Elostirion at Emyn Beraid with the Elves. Elendil placed his two seeing stones in the tower of Amon Sûl and the other in Annúminas. The one in Amon Sûl was the strong one for at the time Amon Sûl was the center of his kingdom Arnor.
In Gondor the strongest of the sons, Anarion`s Palantíri, was placed in the Dome of Osgiliath. and the three lesser was placed in the towers of Orthanc, Minas Anor and Isildur`s Palantíri in Minas Ithil.
3 Age.
T.A.1437. The Palantír in Osgiliath, the strongest of them and called Anarion`s Palantíri, was lost in the war of the Kin-strife in the ruin and burning of the tower in the city in T.A.1437 during the reign of Eldacar. ( Pme.)
T.A.1975. The Palantíri of Annúminas and the stone of Amon Sûl vanished in the Bay of Forochel when Arvedui tried to escape to Mithlond from the Witch-king of Angmar.
T.A.2002. Minas Ithil`s Palantír was captured by Sauron when Minas Ithil fell under the Nazgûl wrath, T.A2002, this Palantíri was Isildur`s Palantíri and the Palantíri vanished when Sauron and his dark kingdom Mordor was finally destroyed in T.A3019
T.A.3019. The last Palantíri, the one from Orthanc came in the hands of Aragorn II., T.A.3019 and where it vent after his death there is no saying but I assume it was left over to his son Eldarion and it still is in his heirs custody in Minas Tirith in Gondor. The one in Minas Anor, may probably still be there lying in Rath Dinen with Denethor II. but all there is to see in it, if they do not have power of the ancient to turn it away, is the burning hands of Denethor II.
T.A.3021. The last Palantíri in the west, the one in Elostirion at Emyn Berain in Grey Havens left Middle-earth with the same ship as Elrond left with. That Palantíri did not corresponded with the others but was set towards the ocean so Elendil could have a straight look ahead the Blessed Land, Tol Eressëa and Avallónë.
Related links.: Battles.: Downfall of Númenor. The civil war in Gondor.