The Diamond Fund is a museum that contains unique pieces of art, jewelry belonging to representatives of the Russian imperial dynasty, and precious stones. A separate part of the collection is made up of symbols of autocracy, which have been preserved in their original form and amaze with their splendor.
Great imperial crown
The creation of the main symbol of the imperial power falls on 1762, when the coronation of Catherine II took place. The crown was entrusted to the court jeweler Georg Eckart, together with Jeremiah Pozier, who was famous for his art of cutting diamonds. The crown was made in just a couple of months. For this, pearls were brought from India, more than 4,000 diamonds were cut, and for the upper part of the crown they ordered a spinel weighing 387 carats. The result is a masterpiece striking in its beauty and uniqueness.
The crown is considered the most expensive in the world. Due to its uniqueness, experts still cannot determine the exact cost of the product. After the revolution, this symbol of autocracy was kept in Ireland, since the representatives of the Russian government handed it over to the Irish authorities as gratitude for the financial assistance provided (in other words, they sold it). Only in 1950 was the crown redeemed, and it again became part of the cultural heritage of Russia.
Imperial scepter
This masterpiece of jewelry was created in 1762 on the occasion of the coronation of the great Empress Catherine II. The scepter is a golden cane framed with diamonds. The crown jewel of the piece is a crown depicting a two-headed eagle made of black enamel surrounded by diamonds.
The uniqueness of the symbol of autocracy is given by a diamond presented to the Empress by Count Orlov. The diamond is distinguished by its splendor, large size and amazing cut. The precious stone was bought by Count Orlov from the jeweler Ivan Lazarev, after which it became an adornment of the empress's scepter. The design of the scepter was developed by the best Russian and European jewelers, which made it famous all over the world even during the reign of the empress.
Imperial power
Another symbol of the Russian autocracy, which is kept in the Diamond Fund. The creation of the item was also timed to coincide with the coronation of Catherine II. In the process, they used gold, silver, sapphires and diamonds. The orb looks like a golden ball, perfectly polished by jewelers. The ball is framed by a belt of silver and diamonds, and the orb is crowned with a magnificent sapphire and a diamond cross.
The state was traditionally created by the court jeweler Eckart. He ordered the finest stones from Europe and India, and took over two months to develop the design. This symbol of autocracy is often called the "Royal Apple". The ball's circumference is 47 centimeters, and the height with the cross is about 25 centimeters. The uniqueness of the power is given by a sapphire weighing 200 carats, brought from Ceylon. For several centuries, the state was used as a symbol of autocracy in the process of coronations.
Small imperial crown
Regalia is not inferior in its splendor to the Great Imperial Crown, but it differs in size. Initially, there were several such crowns. One has survived to this day. Such crowns were made for public appearances, small ceremonies and private visits of empresses. After the death of the empress, stones were removed from the crown, and the frame was destroyed.
For the manufacture of the crown, they prepared about 400 grams of the best quality silver and diamonds. The crown was created by the Duval brothers in 1801 following the example of the Great Imperial Crown. The Regalia was intended for Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna. According to other sources, Empress Catherine ordered the crown from the jeweler Loubier. Another version says that the crown was made in 1885 thanks to the efforts of the local court jeweler L. Zeftigen.
Crown of Anna Ioannovna
The unique crown was created in 1730 under the leadership of the famous court jewelers S. Larionov, I. Schmit and N. Milyukov. To create the regalia, it took silver, 2,489 of the purest diamonds, tourmalines and rubies. Of particular note is the beautiful large tourmaline that adorns the crown. The stone was previously inlaid in the crown of Catherine I and removed for a new decoration. In order to create a masterpiece, jewelers used techniques such as gilding, embossing and carving.
The crown was redesigned several times, adding new details. For example, historical documents indicate that the crown was decorated with pearls during the coronation, but already in 1741 the precious stones were removed and replaced with diamonds. In addition, instead of tourmaline, there was a ruby brought from China in the crown.
