These jewels captured the light of the two trees of Valinor, the main source of light in the world at that time.

In Valinor, Fëanor, son of Finwë, and the greatest of the Elves, created the Silmarils in which he stored a part of the light of the Two Trees that were lighting Valinor. Beside the creation of the letters named after him, he made the Palantíri. Fëanor, at the pinnacle of his might, "in the greatest of his achievements, captured the light of the Two Trees to make the three Silmarils, also called the Great Jewels, though they were not mere glittering stones, they were alive, imperishable, and sacred.".

After three ages in the Halls of Mandos, Melkor was released, feigning reform. Fëanor had a mind that was ever busy, ever creative. See here for a pictorial family tree.)

His crowning achievement was the three Silmarils. In 1449, Fëanor began and by 1450 he had succeeded in the greatest of his achievements: capturing the light of the Two Trees to make the three Silmarils, also called the Great Jewels. Initial visibility: currently defaults to autocollapse To set this template's initial visibility, the |state= parameter may be used: |state=collapsed: {{Fëanor family tree|state=collapsed}} to show the template collapsed, i.e., hidden apart from its title bar |state=expanded: {{Fëanor family tree|state=expanded}} to show the template expanded, i.e., fully visible He prized the Silmarils above all else, and grew increasingly suspicious that the Valar and other Eldar coveted them.