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Point 1. Who Got What

I have always wondered about the Grand Duchess Vladimirs collection and how it was divided after her death. According to Field Elena got the diamonds and pearls, Boris the emeralds, Kiril the sapphires and Andrei the rubies this is from memory might be wrong). If it is true this is an odd division. The white jewellery would by my guess be at least 50% of the collection, the emeralds 25%, the sapphires 20% and rubies 5%. Does anyone know if this is true. My guess is that Elena received a parure of diamonds and pearls (e.g. Bolin tiara and suite to match), and the sons received a complete coloured parure each, and everything else was divided equally. If Andrei only received the rubies that would be an unfair division financially. The imperial collection had the following major items (not counting earrings etc.)

Alexandra Feodorovna Sapphire Tiara
Necklace
Stomacher
Bracelet
Alexandra Feodorovna Emerald Tiara
Necklace
Stomacher
Sapphire Wave Tiara
Necklace
Wheat Tiara With Sapphire
Ceylon Sapphire Tiara

Emerald Lozenge Necklace
Emerald Leuchtenberg Necklace
Diamond bow Brooch with Sapphire Pendant
Romanov Talisman
Sinople Queen Emerald Brooch
Maria Feodorovna Sapphire Brooch

But very few rubies.



Point 2. How Big

Consuelo Duchess of Marlborough talks the vast scale of the GDV’s collection

‘She had a majestic personality, but could be both gracious and charming. After dinner she showed me her jewels set out in glass cases in her dressing-room. There were endless parures of diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls, to say nothing of semi-precious stones such as turquoises, tourmalines, cat’s eyes and aquamarines”

I think this needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. Prince Christopher talks about her octagonal dressing room containing the jewels. I cannot see an eight sided room on the floor plan of her palace, so I think it must have been a fairly normal room with the corners cut off by built in display cases. Since Consuelo had two tiaras seeing five or eight tiaras might be described as endless. The semi precious stones were probably limited limited to amethyst, turquoise as aquamarine sets only, I can’t imagine how hideous a cats eye tiara would be. My question is how huge was her collection. As far as tiaras I can only think of the following

Bolin Tiara
Russian Fringe
Waterfall Aigrette Tiara
Pearl Vine Tiara (not the one worn by Pss Alexandra)
Sapphire Tiara
Emerald Tiara
Ruby Tiara

The pictures we see of her are stupendous but her jewels are repetitive.

What do you think?