Inside the Enduring Mystery of What Happened to Russia's Imperial Jewelry

"You can't open it without them." I had been inquiring about the lost Romanov jewelry catalogues for several months-years?-before I was given access to view them Which pieces made it out of the Revolution and into Europe intact? Which were pulled apart by the government and sold as stones? Which of the ones sewn into their clothing blunted the Bolsheviks bullets? Where are they all now? This remains a developing story The full scope of the legendary Romanov collection is on view and the fate of so many of the pieces documented within lead any viewer into the rabbit hole that is Russian history.

What's in them anyway? A hammer and sickle is embossed at the top of each opening page, directly above the words "Russias Treasure of Diamonds and Precious Stones." The arm of government funding the work is clear: The People's Commissariat of Finances, Moscow-1925.There are pages and pages of jewels, brooches with pear shaped diamond drops larger than I have ever seen, and floral pieces carved with astounding precision and detail 41 Diamond riviere, the so-called collier d'esclave Some jewels are more familiar than others: the Russian Nuptial crown depicted in the catalogue was sold at Christies in 1927, and is now on view at the Hillwood Museum in Washington DC Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.

Such a clearly traceable jewelry narrative-from Romanov to Fersman catalogue to current whereabouts- is virtually unheard of Nothing like a little Bolshevik propaganda to go with Imperial diamonds. . Source