Sorry for taking so long to get back to all of you about this piece. I made a lot of phone calls to track down relatives who might know about this family piece. And, this is what seems to be the story behind it. We had a great uncle who was an Colonel in the Tsar's Army. He was often asked to buy jewlery for various family members. This particular piece was considered "costume" jewlery and was purchase in Moscow around the time known as "Bloody Sunday" so that was in 1905. The piece was given to someone in the family but I don't think it was originaly given to my grandmother, however, before my grandparents left Russia, this piece of jewelry was given to my grandmother.
I asked if anyone knew why the rivets were showing. Evidently, my grandmother was wearing it and because she had nervous fingers, her finger nails scratched off the enamel. Evidently, they were carrying false passports and not on a honeymoon at all but migrating.
From what I can find, there is evidence that this great uncle was in Moscow in 1905.
According to several experts I found in San Francsco, this piece is pre-revolutionary, made in Imperial Russia and was not made my any important jewler. However, the fake jewels were replaced by very real and expensive jewels which could have been sold individually as needed.
The value of the jewels in todays market is about $3,000.
They also carried a clock which appeared to be an expensive clock but it was actually more expensive than it appeared. It was bearing a great deal of gold underneath it's exterior. It also had secret compartments filled with uncut rubies and diamonds. After my grandparents arrived in the USA they were to contact a person in New Jersey. The clock was expected, the value was already known, USA dollars were given in exchange, this money was placed in my grandfather's "money belt". The rest is family history.
Double Eagle
