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In
1967, Diamond Collection Exhibition Hall, housing one of
the largest collections of jewels, was opened on the first
floor of the Armoury.
The
pride of Diamond Collection is historical relics such as
state regalia, unique precious stones and articles made
thereof. This is part of the royal treasures, which were
previously kept in Diamond Room of Winter Palace in St.
Petersburg. These treasures were shown for the first time
at Moscow’s Column Hall, in 1925.
Exhibition
introduces the visitors to the outstanding works of
jeweler of 18th-19th century. Considerable number of the
exhibits dates from the mid-18th century and
gives vivid idea of the jeweler art in the baroque and
rococo styles.
Sparkling
diamonds, glowing rubies, sapphires, emeralds and
olive-green chrysalides enhance the decorative effect. In
combination with their whimsical shapes and exquisite
ornamentation, the stones produce an impression of
sumptuousness and resplendence typical of the era of
Empress Yelizaveta Petrovna (1741-1761).
In
18th century jewelers were inspired by nature itself and
tried to reproduce the wealth of color of the surrounding
environment in sparkling gemstones. Bouquets, diadems,
earrings, aigrettes and bow necklace are delicate yet
inimitable in their beauty.
Jewelers
attained the impressive wealth of colors of the gemstones
in Great Bouquet, by using the popular method of tinting
diamonds with special foil. Loosely fastened flowers
produce an interesting effect.
The
aigrette and earrings, which are shaped as diamond
fountains, with big dark blue Ceylon sapphires on their
tips, are uncommonly well designed.
The
St. Petersburg jeweler, Pfisterer, made the bow-necklace
with precious spinal, in 1764. Diamonds combined with
larger spinal stones form delicate lacy pattern producing
an impression of lightness despite the considerable weight
of the piece.
Since
the last third of 18th century, jewelers gave preference
to the diamond, a favorite of the court fashions of that
time. Cherry-shaped earrings can serve as fine example as
the two large diamonds look like cherries on diamond
grafts.
Women’s
fashion accessories such as hairpins shaped as bows,
cornucopias and baskets with roses set among the leaves
show rich imagination and as absolutely faultless sense of
style.
Russian
State Regalia consisting of the crown, orb and scepter
demonstrate an exceptionally high level of craftsmanship.
In
1762, talented court jeweler, named Jeremia Posier, for
the coronation of Empress Catherine II, made the great
crown. It has traditional shape, because it consists of
two openwork hemispheres divided by foliate garland and
fastened with low hoop. The cold sparkling of 5000
diamonds, which decorate the crown, is shaped by the mat
radiance of large beautiful pearls. The crown is decorated
with one of the seven historic stones of Diamond
Collection, precious spinal weighing 398.72 carats, which
was brought to Russia by Nikolai Spafari, the Russian
envoy to China.
The
gold orb was also made in 1762. It is polished ball with a
cross and is encircled with two rows of large diamonds.
The
gold scepter was decorated by diamond called “Orlov”,
in 1774. It is the world’s fourth largest diamond and
weighs 189.62 carats.
In
1801, Duval brothers made a minor diamond crown for
Yelizaveta Alexeyevna, the wife of Alexander I. They were
well-known jewelers of the late period of classicism and
expressed the aesthetic requirements of their time.
Flat
diamonds are extremely rare. One of them is a diamond
called “Taffelstine”, weighing 25 carats, with
miniature portrait of Alexander I underneath.
Another
historic stone is a diamond called “Shah” (weighing
88.7 carats), which came down to Russia in its natural
form. It was discovered in India in 16th
century and was regarded a talisman. Its three facets bear
inscriptions in Persian made by its owners, which help
reveal its amazing story. In 1829, the stone was presented
to Emperor Nicholas I, by the envoys of Persian
crown-prince Khozrev-Mirza “in redemption of the murder
of the white ambassador”, as Tehran newspapers wrote
referring to the great Russian poet A. Griboyedov.
There
is unique stones, Ceylon sapphire weighing 258.8 carats
and large cubic Columbian emerald weighing 136.25 carats
in diamond brooches, which date from the first half of 19th
century.
Olive-green
chrysalides, weighing 192.6 carats, is another of the
historic stones. It was found on the volcanic island of
Zaberget in Red Sea.
Russian
state decorations studded with gemstones take the pride of
Diamond Collection. It includes a diamond chain and a star
of the first Russian Order of St. Andrew, the Order of St.
Catherine, the Order of Alexander Nevsky and a foreign
Order of the Golden Fleece.
Those
sections of the exhibition, which house national diamonds
from various deposits, are very interesting. There are cut
diamonds and unique collection of giant diamonds, the
smallest of which weighs 20 carats and the largest,
Yakutian diamond, weighs 342.57 carats. The latter was
found in 1980.
Diamond
Collection possesses many works by well-known modern jewelers.
Their works often reflect the best traditions in the
development of this art over past centuries. Unique fusion
of technical skill, rich imagination and artistic taste is
demonstrated by the open work brooch called “Rose”,
which is “woven” out of 1500 diamonds, by the majestic
diadem “Russian Beauty” and other articles decorated
with precious stones such as emeralds, amethysts and
pearls.
A
unique collection of nuggets of noble metals from various
national deposits such as 20 nuggets of platinum and 100
of gold crowns this collection of fabulous treasures. The
largest nugget of gold, which was found in the Urals in
1842, weighs 36kg, and the largest find of platinum weighs
7,800 grams.
The exhibition wins the hearts of visitors with
the craftsmen’s talent and the beauty of their
creations, an unfading heritage of art culture.
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