Romanov Tiaras

[Glebb]

It was awesome, seeing Imperial crowns at the Kremlin Museum.  Being in the same space as great historical objects is such a privilege.

Several years ago I went to THE JEWELS OF THE ROMANOVS exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.  I was quite taken with a tiara commissioned by Maria Feodorovna (wife of Paul I).  It was ordered from Duval Brothers and executed in the design of oak and laurel leaves, bordered by sheaves of wheat.  Maria called it "Mon diademe en epis"- my diadem of sheaves of wheat.

Though the original was left by Maria Feodorovna to the Diamond Fund and then sold in 1929, it is now lost.

Designer Viktor Nikolaev and jeweler Gennady Aleksakhin have recreated the tiara from photographs and archival information substituting platinum for silver and using only stones of Russian origin.   The piece contains white diamonds - 129.62 carrots and a single yellow diamond - 35.32 carrots.

Hopefully other Alexander Palace members can elaborate and even post a picture.  

[Nick_Nicholson]

You can see the tiara on the "jewels of the Romanovs" website here on the APA site.

It is interesting to note that the copy is actually quite different from the original.  Whereas the original tiara used many Briolette-cut stones, the recreation uses Pave setting of the buds.

The original central stone was a topaz -- it was decided to use a yellow diamond when the sone was discovered in Sibera, and became the property of the Diamond Fund.

In November, the Director of the Diamond fund will be lecturing at the Newark Museum of Art.  Should be interesting.

[Guinastasia]

Didn't some of them end up in posession of other royals?  The most obvious example would be the ones that Queen Mary purchased, but I believe when King Aleksander of Yugoslavia married Princess Marie of Roumania, he purchased an emerald and diamond tiara with matching necklace for her that had belonged to one of the family.  

[Sarai_Porretta]

Interesting, just last night I watched a TV program called "The Royal Jewels" about the jewelry collection of Queen Elizabeth II, and I was surprised to see just how many Russian jewelry pieces are owned by her and other British royals and nobles. The program showed pieces owned by Grand Duchess Vladimir and Empress Marie Feodorovna, which are now in the possession of the British royal family. As was stated here, Queen Mary purchased many of these pieces, in all likelihood for much less than their true value.

[Martyn]

One of the most beautiful tiaras that Queen Elizabeth owns is the one that belonged to GD Vladimir, which was purchased by Queen Mary from Miechen's children after her death in 1920.  It is composed of interconnecting circles set with diamonds from which are suspended pendant pearls with small diamond set mounts.  Queen Mary composed a matching set of pear shaped cabochon emerald drops which could be worn suspended from the arches of the tiara in place of the pearls; thus the tiara could be worn ensuite with the Cambridge emerald parure   The maker, possibly Russian,  of this particular piece is unknown; however Cartier seized the opportunity to make copies of it while they were cleaning it for Miechen.
As far as I understand, there were no tiaras amongst Marie Feodorovna's jewels that were sold at her death; this collection  comprised what the Dowager Empress considered to be everyday jewellery.  However I may be wrong - please feel free to correct me.
Ella's suite of emeralds was sold by Marie Pavlovna the younger to the King of  Yugoslavia and for a time adorned his wife "Mignon",second daughter of Marie of Roumania.  Queen Marie was the lucky recipient of Miechen's sapphire and diamond tiara, which in turn was inherited by Ileana, Archduchess of Austria, her youngest daughter.  Both these jewels were subsequently sold, the emerald tiara surviving in the possession of a well known jeweller, who despite removing the cabochon emeralds, has retained the tiara in its original form.
Finally, as to whether Queen Mary purchased the Dowager Empress' jewels at less than their true value - well you could possibly argue that point.  When the jewels were actually sold, the market was depressed due to the large amount of jewellery that had come up for sale and it may be possible that at another time and in another place, the jewellery may have been given a higher valuation.  However it has been proven that Queen Mary paid the valuation prices (in full and sometimes over the valuation) and it must be remembered that she bought some of the most valuable pieces.  Let's not fool ourselves that she didn't do well out of the sales but ultimately Olga and Xenia did receive what they were owed and Xenia lived until her death in grace and favour residences (at small rents) and was the recipient of a yearly allowance from the British reigning monarchs.  Olga, perhaps, was less fortunate; I have never quite understood why her share of the sale was only 40% as opposed to Xenia's 60%...

[Robert_Hall]

I have read/heard 3 versions [at least] for the reason of "unequal didvion:
1. Marie had already backed Olga in the purchase of the farm in Denmark.
2. Marie was not pleased with Olga's second husband. Which is indeed rich, considering the fool Xenia got stuck with. and 3. Xenia was pushier.
None of this is verifiable, just gossip as far as I know.
Cheers,
Robert

[Martyn]

Thanks Robert
Very interesting.  You may be right on all three counts.  I have never heard that MF backed Olga with money for the purchase of the farm but I'm sure that it is possible.  I know that when Olga and Nikolai Kulikovsky were living with MF that there was a certain amount of tension generated by MF treating Olga like an unpaid servant; naturally he made his displeasure known, Dowager Empress or no Dowager Empress - this could have influenced MF's final wishes.
As to Xenia being pushier, well I'm sure there was something of the older sister mentality at play here.
I would love to know what happened to the jewels that were either withdrawn from the sale or unsold; in the inventory of the sale it states that these were returned to GD Xenia at Windsor.  Do we think that Olga received any of what remained?

[Nick_Nicholson]

The "Torby" Tiara, which is mentioned earlier in this string, has just been reported as sold.  I will scan the article in the Art Newspaper for everyone to see.

It has been bought by a Russian businessman in Lithuania, who plans to return it to Russia.  (On his wife's head, or to the diamond fund, I do not know...)

Best,

Nick

[Forum Admin]

From Nick:

[Nick_Nicholson]

In response to the earlier post about pieces still in the posession of the Romanov family.  I can only say that far more of the pieces I have seen on the market came from descendants of Xenia than from Olga.  It follows that Xenia either got more of her things out, or that she recieved more from the Empress Mother after the Revolution.

Nick

(P.S. I recently saw the tiara which formerly held Elizabeth's emeralds created for Queen Mignon.   I was told by a member of the staff of Van Cleef that the original cabochon emeralds were sold to Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, and were incorporated into a piece for her.  Anyone know if that is true?)

[Miamia]

I want still add few words to the discussion of the Milford Haven tiara.

Both Munn (Tiaras A History of Splendour, 2001, p. 297) and Ribbing (Jewellery & Silver for Tsars, Queens and others. W.A. Bolin 200 years / Smycken & silver för tsarer, drottningar och andra. W.A. Bolin 200 år) write that the tiara is undoubtedly made by Bolin. Most of the items made of precious metals at that time were hallmarked. Ribbing even tells that Bolin made another tiara to Anastasia de Torby. I don't know if this information can be verified. This tiara would have been of the same design but was set with sapphires instead of rubies. I wonder were this tiara is now. What a grand pair these would have been.

Bolin was also very important jeweller in St. Petersburg. They competed quite equally with Fabergé. The difference between these two companies was maybe in the basic designing. Fabergé was concentrated in the very unusual designs, made lot of silverware and used Russian gemstones and materials in the jewelry and other items while Bolin was making lot of jewelry and used utterly expensive big diamonds and other precious gemstones in these items.

[Noble]

Recently I was told by Christian Bolin, the present owner of W. A. Bolin, Stockholm that they knew for sure that two tiaras were made by the firm, one with rubies and one with sapphires. The tiara with sapphires was most likely inherited by lady Zia Werner of Luton Hoo, but it´s present location is unknown.

Perhaps someone know?

[Miamia]

(P.S. I recently saw the tiara which formerly held Elizabeth's emeralds created for Queen Mignon.   I was told by a member of the staff of Van Cleef that the original cabochon emeralds were sold to Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, and were incorporated into a piece for her.  Anyone know if that is true?)

There is one cabochon emerald tiara which would fit the description. This did belong to Queen Marie of Yugoslavia and was bought by van Cleef & Arpels who switched the emeralds to paste. The tiara was probably made by Bolin and was of the popural kokoshnik style. I don't know though who bought the emeralds...:

http://nl.msnusers.com/RoyaltyDanjel2/yugmarieemeraldw.msnw

Barbara Hutton did buy the large faceted emeralds which Marie Pavlovna Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia is wearing on her kokoshik of her boyarina costume in the picture of this link (I kind of get confused of all these Marias... ).

http://royal-jewels2.tripod.com/dames/vladimir-2.html

I think Barbara Hutton is wearing these emeralds as a necklace in this picture:

(picture text: "At a party in Paris before a masked ball in the fall of 1958. Barbara is wearing the great emerald necklace that first belonged to Catherine the Great of Russia and later to Edith Rockefeller McCormick. It was the most important historical necklace she owned except for her famous pearl necklace that Queen Marie Antoinette inherited from Anne of Austria. Unfortunately, she gave the emeralds to her seventh husband and he sold them separtely.")

These emeralds were also seen on Barbara Hutton set on a tiara. This tiara was designed by Lucien Lachassagne and made by Cartier in 1947. A picture taken by Cecil Beaton can be seen on page 387 in Geoffrey Munn's grand tiara book Tiaras A History of Splendour.

[Lisa]

These emeralds were also seen on Barbara Hutton set on a tiara. This tiara was designed by Lucien Lachassagne and made by Cartier in 1947. A picture taken by Cecil Beaton can be seen on page 387 in Geoffrey Munn's grand tiara book Tiaras A History of Splendour.

I add this photo of Barbara Hutton, with her tiara (see also all the pages of this album:it's wonderful and very instructive)
http://community.webshots.com/photo/79272450/79266742zTIdPT

[Miamia]

Thank you! I think it is very dramatic picture. Barbara Hutton looks kind of unhappy and sour despite those grand jewels, the emerald tiara and the ring that holds the Pasha diamond which is a 40 carat "puppy".