Author Topic: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth  (Read 132646 times)

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jfkhaos

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The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« on: October 07, 2004, 07:36:24 PM »
Considering the hype that surrounded royal marriages in the 1800s, what kind of jewelry was the Grand Duchess given upon her marriage?  Was Russia the kind of country, given its press, that featured pictures of these gifts in the papers, much like when Princess May of Teck married the Duke of York?  Thanks in advance.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by jfkhaos »

Offline grandduchessella

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2004, 09:02:48 PM »
I remember reading somewhere (maybe in QV's letters?) that Ella was showered with various jewels when she arrived in St Petersburg. From pouring through old magazines & newspapers of the time there was some illustration of wedding presents, but even though she was a  granddaughter of QV, she wasn't marrying English so it didn't garner the press attention accorded to Princess May. Perhaps in the Russian papers of the day?
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Offline brnbg aka: liljones1968

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2004, 09:48:06 AM »
i had never noticed it before, and i've had this image for years.
but after i scanned it in again, and looked at the enlarged image, i noticed the Romanov Double-Eagle in her veil.
 

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Offline grandduchessella

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2004, 11:34:17 AM »
Oh wow, you're right! I've had that image a long time too (one of my favorites as it really captures the delicacy of her profile) and I never noticed it. Quite an artistic little touch.
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Offline Martyn

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2004, 12:53:47 PM »
Is it there to secure her veil?  That is a great close-up and really shows the detail of Ella's kokoschnik which seems to be of fabric with soemof her emeralds stitched on.
The curved diamond ornaments on the kokoschnik are very similar to a suite of dress ornaments that had belonged to Empress Catherine - I wonder if they are the same ones?
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Offline brnbg aka: liljones1968

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2004, 01:13:31 PM »
Quote
The curved diamond ornaments on the kokoschnik are very similar to a suite of dress ornaments that had belonged to Empress Catherine - I wonder if they are the same ones?


it's possible.  i keep thinking i've seen them before on one of the long ribbons that grand duchesses wore down the front of their court gowns.   i mean, the ornaments look like decorative buttons, don't they?   and, i think[/i],  when ladies wore a cloth (stiff felt?) kokoshnik, it was pretty common for them to use very grand buttons or button-type pins to decorate them.    it would have been possible for Ella to borrow them from the treasury, wouldn't it?

maybe someone knows for sure?


and yes, i do think it was used as a sort of hat-pin to secure her veil.   but who knows, maybe it was a liitle 'token' given to her by Serge, or her sister or something like that.....
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by brnbg »
"when i die, i hope i go like my grandfather --
peacefully in my sleep; not screaming & in terror,
like the passengers in his car."

-- anonymous
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Dmitry2

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2004, 08:29:10 AM »
The diamond ornaments on the kokoshnik were included in the 1922 photograph of the Russian Imperial  jewels laid out on a table.  They are on a plaque behind the tiaras.

Now, it could be a similar/identical set.  There were some "Copies" of various jewels.  Both Ella and Xenia had similiar emerald necklaces.  Marie Pavolova the elder had a pearl and diamond long necklace that is very similiar to the one that was included in the Russain Imperial treasury, and so on.


Offline Margarita Markovna

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2005, 08:41:49 PM »
Sorry to bring up an old topic, but are there any Russian papers now that were around then? Maybe they would have an archive. I know one of my local papers has archives from the start.

lancashireladandre

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2005, 01:45:38 PM »
About 10 years ago there were a set/parure of aquamarines and diamonds sold in London by either Sothebys or Christie's,that had belonged to Ella.At least one peice (tiara?)was by Faberge.They had passed via her nephew Louis of Hesse to the vendor.The story of her amazing emeralds is well documented by Hans Nadelhoffer in his authorative book on Cartier (1984).They ended up being scattered in varios new settings after being bought from the last King of Yugoslavia by Van Cleef & Arpels in the late 1940's.Ella sold at least one Diadem via her brother to the German jeweller Koch.This masterpeice with its swinging pearshaped drops was bought by a Wiesbaden based industrialist Wilhelm von Meister for his american wife Leila and is mentioned by her in her memoirs "Gathered Yesterdays".Felix Youssoupoff mentions a great auction at which his mother bought a superb pear pearl as a memento.

bluetoria

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2005, 02:23:19 PM »
Oh wow!! I wish I had been at Sotheby's 10 years ago...and had a few million to spare!! Do you know who purchased them at that time? (Was that the industrialist you mentioned or was that earlier?) I hope it turns out it was one of my long lost relations & they leave them to me in their will....Oh well, you can always dream, can't you  ::)

lancashireladandre

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2005, 07:48:55 AM »
Dear Bluetoria. Von Meister bought his wife the diamond tiara in the days before WW1. Between the wars Leila lived in Switzerland then after WW2 she came back to the US ( to Concord,NH. I think). She spoke of difficulties due to the German inflation crisis of the early 20's, so the tiara may no longer have been in HER possession when she moved to New England.Sorry I have no idea who bought the aquamarines....Seem to remember reading somewhere that Ella often wore that colour as it went well with her blonde looks AND set off her emeralds or sapphires to perfection!!!!!

bluetoria

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2005, 05:19:05 AM »
Thanks lancashirelad. I wonder what are the chances of the aquamarines appearing one day on ebay!  ;D Yes, I am sure Ella must have been stunning when she wore them.

Offline brnbg aka: liljones1968

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2005, 03:23:17 PM »
Quote
That's wonderful, thank you!  :) I shall have to look through the pictures now to find one of Ella wearing it! Please do post the pictures of the necklace when you can.  :)



here's the necklace (& bracelet, i believe).    also, as far as i know, there aren't any images of ella actually wearing them.    i hope i'm wrong, though.    it would be wonderful if someone could find one!

"when i die, i hope i go like my grandfather --
peacefully in my sleep; not screaming & in terror,
like the passengers in his car."

-- anonymous
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Offline grandduchessella

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2005, 05:34:16 PM »
We'd posted on a thread somewhere around here that it looked like the tiara was being modelled on the runway as part of a designers' show. It apparently had been lent by the jeweller or buyer who had purchased it after it was auctioned off.
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bluetoria

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Re: The Jewelry of Grand Duchess Elizabeth
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2005, 07:08:27 AM »
Oh...modelled in a designer's show!! It should be kept in a glass case like a relic!! I wonder if the present owners ever wear these things...

Thank you so much for posting the pictures!  :)