Among all the precious historical jewels, few are as precious or rare as theportrait diamond – a miniature covered with a flat diamond, unique for its shape,perfection and clarity. This lavish two-volume set examines the history of theportrait diamond in Russia, where this rare and unusual form achieved its greatestheight under the patronage of the Romanovs. Of 55 recorded portrait diamonds,only 36 are extant today. This book focuses on an extraordinary private collectionrepresenting almost one third of them.In the collection at the heart of this book, eleven portrait diamonds adorn sixdifferent jewels associated with Russian tsars, tsarinas, grand dukes and duchesses,beginning with the legendary Peter the Great (1672–1725) and concluding with thefour daughters of Nicolas II (1868–1918) and Alexandra Feodorovna (1872–1918):Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, whose were tragic assassinated in 1918.Included also are Emperor Nicolas I, Empress Maria Alexandrovna and Grand DukeVladimir Alexandrovich, among others. The jewels range from rings and earringsto pendants, and include one demi-parure. Their great rarity is corroborated in theAppendix by Karen Kettering that situates this group among the fewer than fiftyexamples known in the world, many of which are either recorded but evidently lostor located today in important museum collections.The two-volume study is published as a complementary set which featuresnew research, remarkable photographs and diagnostic analysis of the genre ofthe portrait diamond. Volume I is illustrated with spectacular photographs ofall the portrait diamonds, along with short descriptions of each and a summary-introduction. Volume II includes a longer introduction which examines the portraitdiamond within the history of the genre with references to comparable examplesmade for members of the English and French courts and which traces the historyof the portrait diamond in Russia through its patronage, its jewellers and itsrelationship to Fabergé Easter eggs.The volume features two in-depth studies by eminent jewellery historian DianaScarisbrick, as well as detailed descriptions for each piece by Karen Kettering.These studies set the jewels within a dazzling chronicle of Russian history markedby great reform and governed by incomparable wealth but also flawed by terribleviolence and unspeakable tragedy. An accompanying scientific description of thefashioning of a flat diamond suitable for this genre explains clearly – perhaps forthe first time – the rare and complex technique.
