Information on these jewels is scattered all over the place and I've yet to find a single easily laid out list of what she got. However, I have pieced together the following:
On the 16th April at Easter following the engagement Alexandra received a stunning engagement present - a parure of diamonds and sapphires from her future father-in-law, Tsar Alexander III, made by the jeweller Koechli. (It is my assumption here that this is the set she received first based on the description below and the fact it is a known engagement gift.) Nicholas had been asked to find out Alexandra's favourite stone and she replied "sapphires".
Alexandra wrote to her future mother-in-law, Empress Marie Feodorovna: ‘How can I thank you and dear Uncle enough for the magnificent present you were so awfully kind as to send me. It is much too beautiful for me! It gave me quite a shock when I opened up the case – saw those beautiful stones."
Nicholas and Alexandra parted ways after this. Nicholas went back to Russia and Alexandra went to Windsor to visit her grandmother Queen Victoria. Nicholas took the family boat the Polar Star and joined Alexandra at Windsor from June 8-12, 1894
While he was there it looks like she got the following jewels:
• A chain bracelet with a large emerald
• A brooch with pearl drops
• small diamond and pearl crown by Boucheron (FF27,500)
• A jewelled fan with the imperial coat of arms by Lalique
• sapphire and diamond brooch (This was a gift from Alexander III to his future daughter-in-law)
• A five row necklace of large pink pearls created by Faberge (250,000 Gold roubles) and was the single most expensive item purchased by the Imperial house from the jeweller.
The last thing he gave her before he left was a pink pearl ring as her engagement ring. Oddly enough there don't seem to be any easy to recognise photos of this piece.
After Alexandra arrived in Russia, but before her wedding Nicholas gave her the following items:
• Siberian aquamarine and diamond brooch with a zig zag design around the edge by Faberge purchased on 10th August 1894 (1,100 roubles)
• A magnificent pearl necklace, with a diamond set clasp purchased on 10th August 1894 from Faberge (177,600 roubles)
If anyone can provide any other information about the gifts Alexandra was given during this period of time I would appreciate it. It is especially hard to seperate out the information on the pearl necklaces and brooches.
Alexandra apparently kept all her jewels in her bedroom in special storage. Although she didn't love jewellery like her mother-in-law Marie but she did see it as a hedge against disaster and encouraged people to give her jewels as gifts - especially sentimental pieces which she frequently wore.
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