Also known as: Palantir, The Seeing Stones, The Seeing-Stones
The Seeing Stones, made by Fëanor in the Elder Days and given to the faithful of Númenor: seven crystal globes by which will and sight could pass over any distance, stone answering to stone. Elendil brought them to Middle-earth; over long years most were lost, leaving the stones of Orthanc and Minas Anor — and one in Barad-dûr. Therein lay the trap: Sauron bent the surviving stones to his own image. Saruman was corrupted through his; Denethor was broken by despair at what Sauron chose to show him; Pippin's foolish glance into the Orthanc-stone nearly betrayed everything. Only Aragorn, its rightful owner, dared wrench a stone to his own will, and showed Sauron the sword reforged.