A special post written by: Yehuda Kassif
Part 2
During one of the most volatile periods of the Russian revolution and on the eve of World War I, the Bolshevik government decided to transfer all of the "Diamond Treasure" collection from its location in St. Petersburg to Moscow. One night during the revolution, the Soviet secret police nabbed Anton Faberge, grandson of renowned jeweler Carl Faberge, from his home for a secret meeting with Leon Trotsky.
During the meeting, Trotsky asked Faberge to conduct an inventory survey of the entire Russian treasure at the Hermitage with the intention of selling it in return for cash needed to finance the revolution. After a period of cataloging and appraising by Faberge, the treasure was transferred to Moscow and confiscated by the authorities and was placed in the Kremlin's coffers.
By the end of WW I, eight or nine crates of jewelry were left at the Kremlin. In 1921, Anton Faberge and a committee of appraisers began cataloging the entire treasure, a task that took until 1923 to complete. Each item was photographed, weighed and appraised, and in 1925 the catalogue named "The Diamond and Gemstone Treasure of Russia" was published in four languages and is until this day the only reputable source that describes the jewels.
Initially, the soviet regime planned to sell the collection in order to raise money for the state, but that idea was abandoned. Instead, the treasure was exhibited in 1925 in a public showing in Moscow. The Bolshevik regime gave great respect to the state jewels, a fact that was evident in the efforts they made to accurately replicate the jewels that were lost or stolen, even at a time when the Soviet state was struggling for its existence.
In 1922, Christie's of London auctioned off several items from the Russian treasure. Among the items sold was a tiara set with diamonds and pearls that was purchased by Gladys, Duchess of Marlboro. Towards the end of the 20th century, the tiara was discovered in the jewelry collection of Imelda Marcus, the wife of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcus.
A large part of the Russian treasure was destined for destruction. The pieces were mutilated, cut up, and smelted in an effort to conceal their origin. Since the value of these jewels not only stems from the gemstones and the diamonds set in them, but from their production and design, their destruction was a great cultural tragedy. Part of the stones and diamonds that were set in these special jewels were so unique and rare that despite them being sold, cut, and even re-polished, their origin could still be recognized.
Part of the private jewels that belonged to the Russian royal family was saved because their owners managed to escape in time and take the jewels with them. Some of the pieces were given as wedding gifts to family members who got married to royal families outside Russia, and thus survived the revolution. Some of them were smuggled in various ways on the way to their rightful heirs who lived outside Russia.
Many of the jewels that belonged to the Russian monarchy were lost not only because of the Russian revolution, but because they disappeared, lost or were stolen during WW I. The few items that survived and were sold by the auction houses or are in the hands of royal families, millionaires, and other notables, still evoke awe from their design, quality of craftsmanship, the stones set in them, and their amazing beauty.
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