The Cursed Jewels: How Romanov Treasures Ended Up in Britain

Greetings, dear connoisseurs of jewelry! Today, we will dive into a fascinating story about unique jewelry masterpieces that belonged to the Russian imperial family, and learn how their fate changed after the fall of the monarchy. The fate of the tiaras and other precious jewelry of the Romanovs was far from easy, rather, we can say that it was tragic. Some wonderful examples of Russian jewelry art managed to escape the consequences, some ended up in private collections, practically unharmed, while others found their new owners among members of royal families, such as British Queen Elizabeth II. And some of them even became available to the public on display at the Diamond Fund. The surviving tiaras and tiaras of Russian empresses and grand duchesses represent only a small part of the lost precious heritage of the Romanovs. Many precious jewelry pieces from the imperial collection were dismantled and sold by the Soviet government at auctions, or disappeared without a trace. Characterized by opulence and lavish decoration, these Romanov tiaras, with their own interpretation of European fashions, were almost impossible to confuse with the jewelry of other royal houses. No wonder that many of these exquisite decorations were later given the romantic name of tiaras or, less conveniently for Europeans, kukoshnik. Even in our time, modern tiaras, shaped like traditional Russian headdresses, continue to retain this style. How, in turn, did the court jewelers of the Romanovs interpret European fashion in creating tiaras? Let's consider it on the example of the most beautiful and majestic royal diadems. So how did the court jewelers of the Romanovs interpret the European fashion for tiaras? We show on the example of the most beautiful and majestic royal tiaras. So what is the classic Russian tiara that has been inspiring crowned persons and jewelers all over the world for centuries? By themselves, such tiaras are flexible bezels from which diamond rays seem to scatter. In the West, this type of tiaras is sometimes called fringe, literally fringe. But, strictly speaking, their essence is the same. The main charm of such jewelry is its versatility, Russian tiaras were created in such a way that they could be worn on their own. Stitched on a kukoshnik or worn as a necklace. It is believed that such tiaras became fashionable at the court of Nicholas I. Today, tiaras made in the image and likeness of Tiaras can be found in almost all monarchies of the world, from Monaco to Japan. Speaking of the fashionable influences exerted by the Russian royal family, it is necessary to mention the history of the origin of the kukoshnik in the British royal family. The famous piece of jewelry, which often adorns Elizabeth II, was first given to the English princess Alexandra of Denmark, the future queen of Great Britain. This precious gift was initiated by a group of court aristocrats, who wanted to please the princess of Wales in honor of her silver wedding to the heir to the throne. When asked what she would like to receive, Her Highness expressed her wish to own a fashionable tiara popular in Russia, a kukoshnik. For the British princess, her owner Tiaras was made at Geraud. When comparing the portraits of the two sisters in diamond kukoshniks, the future queen of England and the Russian empress, one can again marvel at the influence of the monarch's genes. Nevertheless, Alexandra of Denmark preferred to wear her tiara more in the form of a coronet than a traditional kukoshnik. This unfortunate mistake was corrected later by Maria of Teck and her descendants. Maria Fyodorova's Tiara In the West, this tiara is also often called Russian wedding tiara, and this is not accidental, because it was in it that several generations of imperial brides were married, starting from the second half of the 19th century. Girls wore this triangular tiara together with the imperial wedding crown and other jewelry specially created for wedding celebrations. This tradition was unique, at a time when European brides favored variety, Russians maintained the continuity of their wedding images. Originally, this tiara was not intended as a wedding jewelry at all. Its birth year is considered to be 1800, created by Jacob Duval, and the first owner was Maria Fyodorova, the wife of Emperor Paul I. According to art historian Lilia Kuznetsova, the tiara was originally also decorated with dangling threads at the temples in the style of old Russian cassocks. The purest diamonds of various sizes and cuts were brought from India and Brazil, and their total weight was about 1,000 carats. The center row is made up of moving dangling briolettes that easily sway with the slightest movement of the head. However, the main accent of the jewelry remains a single 13.35-carat diamond of a delicate pink hue. This rare stone was originally set into a base where colored foil was used, a common method of jewelers at the time, making the diamond visibly blood red. However, it was not until many years later that the true color of the stone was discovered, which is difficult to see to the untrained eye. This tiara was very lucky, it successfully survived the revolution and today it is a valuable exhibit of the diamond fund in the Kremlin. It is still possible to look at it today. The experience is unique, considering that Maria Fyodorova's tiara is the only original Romanov tiara in Russia. Spikes Another masterpiece created by the Duval Brothers Workshop for Empress Dowager Maria Fyodorova was a tiara that became one of her favorites. And this is not surprising, because this jewelry stood out not only for its originality, but also for the refinement of its execution. The composition included six elegant golden spikelets tending to the center, between which grew ornate stalks of flax, as if lace. The pattern of this tiara was striking in its realism. The tiara was completely studied with the purest diamonds, and in its center, a huge 37-carat luco sapphire blossomed majestically, transparent, with a subtle golden hue, symbolizing the sun. The jewel is said to have been of high value to the imperial family. However, a century later, the new government did not attach any historical or artistic value to the spikes, and sold them at the Christie's auction in London in 1927 together with other jewelry from the Tsar's collection. The further fate of the tiara remains unknown. Nevertheless, in 1980 Soviet jewelers V.I. Nikolaev and G. Alexikin recreated the lost jewel, creating a replica in gold, platinum and diamonds, called Russian Field. While this tiara is certainly different from the original, it still gives a great idea of what Maria Fyodorova's original creation was like. The replica can also be seen at the Diamond Fund. A large diamond tiara with pearls. This is where the Russian style showed itself in all its splendor. Always a winning combination of diamonds and pearls, elements of the lover's knot style popular in the 19th century, and, of course, the traditional shape of the kukoshnik, all this was combined in the luxurious big diamond diadem. It was made in the early 1830s, presumably by the court jeweler Jan Gottlieb Ernst for Empress Alexandra Fyodorova, wife of Nicholas I, possibly from the old jewelry of Maria Fyodorova, who bequeathed her rich jewelry collection to her descendants. The size of this tiara is astonishing, 113 pearls of various sizes and several dozen diamonds are arranged on a precious frame half a head high. Alexandra Fyodorova was the first owner of the tiara and, ironically, the last owner was also Alexandra Fyodorova, only the wife of Nicholas II. The Empress was particularly fond of the jewelry, as, indeed, was everything deliberately Russian. Under her rule, the jewelry became world-famous, for example, it crowned Her Majesty's head at the opening of the First State Duma. The diadem, therefore, certainly had a great historical value, but not for everyone. After the revolution, it disappeared from all radars and, presumably, was sold at auction. It is possible that in order to find buyers, the new authorities took the tiara apart. The next impressive piece of jewelry art is the pearl tiara. It is often called Russian Beauty, although this name is not quite accurate. Yes, the Russian Beauty does exist, but, like the Russian Field, it is just a replica, magnificently recreated by masters However, their inspiration was real. It was a diamond tiara with pearl pendants commissioned by Emperor Nicholas I for his wife Alexandra Fyodorova. The author of this precious masterpiece, which involuntarily reminds one of the Cambridge knots of love, was the court jeweler Karl Bolin. The history of this jewelry is fascinating. Bolin's pearl tiara can be considered a kind of literally imposed on the capital's fashionistas from above. The shape of the tiara resembled a typical kokoshnik, and its most recognizable element was a slender row of 25 large natural pearls selected by Bolin from the unnecessary crown jewels in Russian Beauty that we already see artificial pearls. This jewelry immediately became one of the most important, but its splendor was so great that the penultimate Russian empress, Maria Fyodorovna, wife of Alexander III, even kept it in her chambers. Art historian Lilia Kuznetsova notes that in the early 20th century, the House of Cartier used this tiara as inspiration, creating its own pearl and diamond kokoshnik, which became world famous. In 1919, Maria Fyodorova fled Russia, taking only her everyday jewelry with her. The most valuable ones, including Bolin's tiara, were confiscated by the Bolsheviks and sold at auctions. For example, the pearl tiara was sold at a Christie's auction in 1927. It is believed that Holmes and company bought the jewelry and then sold it to the 9th Duke of Marlborough, Winston Churchill's cousin, who purchased the Russian tiara for his second wife, Gladys Mary Deacon. However, the decoration did not stay in Britain for long, in the late 1970s it was again put up for auction, and this time its owner was Imelda Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines. It is believed that Imelda had no idea of the incredible story behind the piece. Some even believed that the First Lady dismantled the tiara. However, today it is known that the kokoshnik is intact and is in the Central Bank of the Philippines, waiting, as they say, for the next auction. Will the prototype of the Russian beauties ever return to Russia? Now about the Vladimir tiara. This story is also eventful and includes a tiara named Vladimir Skaya. Today its owner is British Queen Elizabeth II, who received this valuable piece of jewelry from her grandmother, Queen Mary of Teck, a passionate jewelry lover. So how did this Russian tiara come to England? This magnificent piece of jewelry, consisting of 15 diamond rings, in the center of each of which hangs a massive pear-shaped pearl, was created by the Bolin Workshop in 1874 by Order of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, son of Emperor Alexander II, for his bride Maria Pavlovna as a wedding present. This is how it got its name, the Vladimir tiara. Maria Pavlovna was a passionate admirer of jewelry and her court was known for its wealth, which allegedly caused Empress Alexandra Fyodorova concern. When the revolution came, the Grand Duchess already had an extensive collection of family jewelry, much of which was kept in her main residence, the Vladimir Palace. However, when the revolution came, Maria Pavlovna was unwilling to share her treasures with the Bolsheviks. Thanks to the Grand Duchess's court connections, she received help from her close friend, the antiquarian and diplomat Albert Stopford, who was rumored to be secretly serving in British intelligence. Stopford infiltrated the Princess's chambers in the Vladimir Palace and smuggled most of her jewelry, including her diamond tiara, from Saint Petersburg to London. After Maria Pavlovna's death, her jewelry passed to her daughters. The tiara went to her youngest daughter, Elena, who was already the consort of Prince Nicholas of Greece. Helena's daughter, Princess Marina, later married Duke George of Kent, grandson of Queen Mary of Teck, and thus became part of the famous Windsor dynasty. The British monarch will love the new tiara wholeheartedly, despite her considerable jewelry collection. After purchasing it, she will bring it to the Gerrard and Company workshop, where the pearls will be made removable and alternatively drop-shaped emeralds, the so-called Cambridge Stones, will be chosen. After the death of Mary of Teck, the tiara will go to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, who still wears it with pearls, emeralds, and even empty. Next, we will move on to the equally beautiful but less known. The sapphire tiara, which belonged to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, like the Vladimir tiara, is a fascinating and eventful part of history. Thanks to her friendship with an English diplomat, the Grand Duchess managed to save her jewelry from the hands of the revolution, including a massive kukoshnik studied with diamonds and set with sapphires, a family piece of jewelry that came into the possession of the Grand Dukes from the collection of Alexandra Fyodorova, the wife of Nicholas I. There is a version according to which this kukoshnik is a remodeled version of Her Majesty's Diadem presented by the Emperor in honor of their accession to the throne in 1825, although others claim that it contains only sapphires from the Empress's collection. In the late 1900s, this kukoshnik was remade or recreated at the Cartier Jewelry Workshop, becoming part of a luxury jewelry set including earrings, necklace, and brooch. Avoiding the wrath of the revolution, Albert Stopford once again played a crucial role in rescuing this precious tiara from the Grand Duchess' boudoir. However, while the Vladimir tiara would eventually go to the Queen of Great Britain, the sapphire kukoshnik would find its new owner, the Romanian Queen. During the First World War, when the Romanian royal family sent their jewelry to the Kremlin for safekeeping, including the sapphire tiara, Queen Maria's connection to the Romanovs became clear. However, after the revolution, the new government confiscated the royal jewelry and Maria lost almost all of her jewelry, including the ancient family tiaras. Maria Pavlovna and Maria Maria's family probably decided to take advantage of the idea of a mutually beneficial exchange, where the former needed the family treasures and the latter needed money. Thus, the sapphire kukoshnik became the property of the Romanian royal family. Queen Maria preferred not to part with the tiara, giving it to her youngest daughter Ileana in honor of her wedding. The jewelry remained in the royal family until the Romanians sensed the approach of war and political changes. This time it was decided to send the jewelry to the UK for preservation. After the end of World War II, the monarchy in Romania was effectively living out its last days. The royal family was driven out of the country. Princess Ileana traveled with her mother's tiara to the USA, where she sold it to an unknown buyer in 1950. Its fate since then is unknown. The tiaras we are going to talk about may not have as diverse a history as their famous counterparts, but the majesty and beauty of these jewelry pieces are in no way inferior. Let's dive into the history and savor the beautiful details. The first is a massive tiara made for the wife of Paul I, which was inherited through the years. As Lilia Kuznetsova tells us, this piece of jewelry was created by the talented craftsman Jacob Duvall. The main pattern of the tiara is laurel leaves, which was a characteristic element of the classicism style of the time. The entire surface of the jewelry is decorated with diamonds, but the main characters of the tiara are five magnificent sapphires of different cuts, and the weight of the central stone is an impressive 70 carats. The fate of this tiara after the revolution is still a mystery. Another famous tiara was the Radiant Tiara, which belonged to Elizabeth Alexievna. In the early 19th century, it was presented to the public, becoming part of the tsar's heritage. This jewelry is made in the empire style, which was then at the peak of popularity. The exquisite headpiece sparkles like the sun thanks to precious stones, and it was created in response to the previous tiara with a unique pink diamond. This is a kind of a little sister of the tiara, and the story of its appearance is no less fascinating. Let me tell you about it. When Tsarina Maria Feodorova, the widow of Paul I, invited her brother and his wife to St. Petersburg, she paid special attention to her appearance, choosing magnificent outfits and the best jewelry. On her exquisite head her favorite diamond tiara with a pink crystal sparkled majestically. The Duchess of Württemberg, Henrietta of Nassau-Weilberg, gazed intently at this splendor and naturally felt the desire to possess a similar piece of jewelry or even something less impressive, but equal in the high art of jewelry craftsmanship. Specially created to her order, the radiant diadem resembles a tiara kokoshnik with a large stone of the color of morning's aura. Having analyzed the photos of both jewelry pieces, I couldn't help but notice the similarities and differences. No, they are not twins, as one might think, nor are they a variation of the original plus copy. The radiant tiara is definitely unique, but in the compositional details it catches the eye. At the center of this entire jewelry composition, an 11-carat oval diamond stands out brightly. However, despite its sophistication, the radiant diadem, like many other unique pieces, did not escape the influence of the 20th century, which left them at the mercy of the whirlwind of revolution. The owner of the tiara, Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna of the House of Württemberg, faced with financial difficulties, was forced to sell the radiant tiara to the Chamber Department of the Imperial Cabinet. This is how she re-entered Russian history. The first woman whose possession became the radiant beauty was Elizabeth Alexeevna, the wife of Alexander I. And then came the moment when both magnificent headdresses alternately adorned the wreath of the last Russian empress, Alexandra Feodorovna. In 1911, Her Majesty took part in a photo shoot where she appeared in luxurious long beads and the radiant tiara. While the pink diamond big sister attracted the attention of a Bolshevik commission of and remained in Russia. The radiant tiara had no such luck and was listed as a treasure that quickly went abroad in the 1920s. Its mysterious trail was lost and now only photographs of Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova remind us of the lost diamond beauty. Next in our story is the emerald tiara of Alexandra Feodorovna. This jewelry was created especially for the wife of Nicholas II and had an original style, somewhat different from the traditions of the Romanovs and closer to French jewelry aesthetics. The pattern of the tiara was alternating arches and bows. The central emerald, which weighed 23 carats and was found in Colombia, gave this tiara a special luster. The tiara was also transformable and this is probably what determined its fate after the tragic events at the royal family. In the 1920s, Alexandra Feodorovna's emerald tiara was sold. This piece of jewelry became part of the sapphire purer and was created in an eclectic style with intertwining lines and symbols of kings, cornflowers and heraldic lilies. According to contemporaries, 16 large sapphires and diamonds sparkled like fireworks. Unfortunately, nothing of this precious set has survived to this day. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna's art nouveau, art deco, tiara was almost unique among the headdresses of the Russian empresses. Even the one created by the Boucheron workshop with 18 flowers, despite its opulence, deviates from the traditional theme of floral variety inherent to the era at the turn of the century and represents a continuation of the style of previous tiaras. However, the fate of this tiara remains mysterious and its whereabouts are unknown. The aquamarine perroir, created by the jewelers of the House of Faberge, is an amazing set comprising a tiara, a necklace, a bracelet and a pair of earrings. Although each piece of jewelry has its own personality, the whole ensemble is in the same style with the main motif being the knot. The tiara is a floral garland linked by diamond knots, with central aquamarine surrounded by diamonds. The necklace and bracelet are also designed as aquamarine garlands linked by diamond knots. This magnificent set was sold at a Sotheby's auction on 10 October 1996. Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and elder sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, was originally the first owner of the perroir. The jewelry was later given to her brother, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and Rhine and then inherited by his son Ludwig. Afterwards, Grand Duchess Dorothea of Hesse put them up for auction and unknown buyers purchased this magnificent jewelry ensemble. Photographs from the Versace fashion house show that the aquamarine tiara of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna was used as the main piece of jewelry on the model bride. Princess Dorothea of Hesse, for her wedding in 1959. Princess Dorothea of Hesse put the aquamarine perroir up for auction. The buyers of the jewelry remain unknown. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna's aquamarine tiara, also known as the kukoshnik, was created in 1900. After being bought back from the Bolsheviks in the late 1920s, the tiara is now owned by the British Court or Elizabeth II personally. The set also includes a necklace and earrings. Princess Irina Alexandrova's tiara, made by the House Cartier in 1911, was a wedding gift from her husband, Prince Felix Yusupov. The jewelry made of platinum, rock crystal and diamonds, designed in the style of ice, using unusual rock crystal, attracts attention with its unusual beauty. The tiara was Princess Irina's wedding jewelry on her wedding day in 1914. Maria Feodorovna's pearl tiara, made in the form of a crown, impresses with its geometricity and lacanism. The diamond pattern resembling the letter M in honor of Empress Maria Feodorovna gives the jewel its uniqueness. The fate of this precious perroir after the revolution remains a mystery. What was your favorite piece of jewelry? Write your comments.