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Imperial Russian jewels found in Tobolsk, 1933
Posted by kat max on May 5, 2019, 11:56 am
I stumbled across this today and thought the information might be of interest to people here. The source of these jewels is obviously Nicholas and Alexandra. Alexandra made sure to take the biggest stones and most portable pieces of her jewellery with her. Obviously with the assumption that they would need them later for an escape and to trade for hard currency:
List of treasures kept by the nun Marfa Uzhentseva in Tobolsk, and seized by NKVD in 1933:
List of Imperial Valuables Found in Tobolsk, 1933:
"On November 20, 1933, we the undersigned appraisers Zverev and Borovskikh, evaluated the valuables below, shown to us in the presence of ECD PR officials Maksevich and Borodin, whereupon it was found:
Item Quantity (when more than one) Value
1. Diamond brooch 100 carats 1,200,000
2. Diamond crescent with 5 big diamonds up to 70 carats 310,000
3. Diamond hairpins, 2, 36 carats each 700,000
4. Diamond pin 44 carats 700,000
5. Diamond necklace with pearls and ruby pendants 50,000
6. Tsar's diamond emblem with big diamonds 8 carats 22,000
7. Diamond pins for headdress, 2 7,000
8. Diamond brooches - bows, 2 6,000
9. Diamond brooch with a pearl twig 8,000
10. Hairpins with diamonds and pearls, 2 20,000
11. Diamond diadem with big middle diamond of 8 carats and others of small size 25,000
12. Diamond diadem with pearls 25,000
13. " " with kuntzite stones 2,000
14. " " with almandin stones 5,000
15. " " with turquoise 7,500
16. Diamond hairpin 1,000
17. Diamond medals, 5 25,000
18. " panagia, 2 4,000
19. " " 2 3,000
20. Pendant with diamonds and double gems 9,500
21. Brooch with diamonds 1,500
22. Gold chain with emeralds 3,000
23. " with pearls 2,500
24. " with pearls and small trinkets 1,500
25. Pendant " with medals, roses and pearls 1,500
26. Gold chain with small turquoise and trinkets 120
27. Twisted chain with petals of pure gold and diamonds 150
28. Gold chain with emerald dross, pearls and diamonds 250
29. Gold chain with amethyst cabochon and pendants 150
30. " " with small medals and pendants 200
31. " " with big pearl, turquoise and trinkets 150
32. Lady's waistband with amethyst and moonstone 100
33. Lady's enamel watch with gold colored chain 50
34. Lady's watch with engraved monogram [cyrillic] "T.N." 50
35. Gold necklace with little bells 50
36. " " with pearls, open work 150
37. " " of aquamarine, with diamonds and pearls 2,500
38. Pendant with diamond portrait and small pearl chain 2,500
39. " " with a diamond of 5 carats, amethyst and pearl weave 6,000
40. Brooch with a diamond and a beryl 2,000
41. Necklace with small diamonds and amethyst 1,200
42. Bracelet with diamonds and amethyst 800
43. Pendant with chain of diamonds and kuntzite stone 600
44. " with platinum chain with shorls [sic] and chrysophases 150
45. Diamond band 600
46. Pendant with gold chain and 4 small hanging balls 200
47. Cross with pearls and emeralds 100
48. Pendant with hanging cross and mounted gems 700
49. Pendants with platinum chains, 9 900
50. Brooch in form of twigs studded with diamonds and aquamarine 800
51. Hairpins with small diamonds, 4 1000
52. Watch in bracelet with diamonds, rusty 200
53. Pin in form of anchor with diamonds 300
54, Pendant with moonstone 80
55. " studded with diamonds and aquamarine 100
56. " with a small diamond and aquamarine 120
57. Pendant - globe with shorls [sic], with diamonds 130
58. Aquamarine trinket 40
59. Studs with moonstone, 3 30
60. Small trinket with agate 20
61. " lily of the valley with moonstone 15
62. " studded with diamonds 80
63. " and an ametheyst [sic] 60
64. Studs with diamonds, 2 70
65. Platinum trinket with date 1912 20
66 Cross with aquamarine 40
67. National brooches, 4 20
68. Brooches - fascist symbol 5
69. " medal shaped 15
70. Trinket - fascist symbol 2
71. " with monogram "T", 2 10
72. " " [cyrillic] "A.F" 5
73. Silver " with monograms, 3 5
74. Various pins, 3 6
75. Trinket with roses and rubies 30
76. Red medical crosses, 2 5
77. Gold pencil with pearl 15
78. Trinket with a monogram and a sapphire 10
79. Gold coin of 7 rubles, 50 kopecks 7.50
80. Gold cross with alexandrite 5
81. Gold trinkets, 2 10
82. Pendant with emerald bas-relief of woman, with diamonds 7,000
83. Pearl pinhead studded with diamonds 2,000
84. Pearl pendants, 3 3,600
85. Brooch of gems with diamonds 2,000
86. " with gem of golden rock crystal studded with diamonds 2,000
87. " acquamarine studded with diamonds and roses 800
88. " round, of aquamarine and studded with uncut diamonds 800
89. Pendant of colourless amethyst with diamonds 700
90. Aquamarine brooch inside rim with small diamonds 200
91. " of aquamarine, triangle with diamonds 300
92. " with emerald, ellipsoid, studded with diamonds 300
93. " of agate with small diamonds 100
94. " citrine, studded with diamonds 120
95. " of amethyst with diamonds and two pearls 250
96. " with colourless amethyst and studded with diamonds 200
97. " of beryl with diamonds 150
98. " with colourless amethyst with diamonds in form of marquise 400
99. " with a moonstone in form of a heart with small diamonds 175
100. Pendant from small pearls 700
101. Brooch with small emeralds and diamonds 500
102. Amethyst brooches studded with diamonds, 2 300
103. Brooch with small aquamarine of ellipsoid form with diamonds 75
104. " with rubies, square and diamonds 250
105. " with three small crowns with sapphire and garnets 120
106. " with four moonstones and studded with diamonds 75
107. Quadrangular brooch with an inner small crown with pearls and small diamonds 60
108. " with two small clasps with amethyst and studded with diamonds 45
109. " in form of cross with almadin gems and studded with diamonds 85
110. " agate studded with small roses 40
111. " of sapphire, 2 30
112. " round, enameled with small pearls and studded with diamonds 60
113. " shorl 20
114 " with oblong aquamarine and roses 120
115. " with three pendants - carnelian, garnet and amethyst 60
116. " with image of flag 3
117. Pendant with sapphires, diamonds and uncut diamonds 175
118. Brooch with a round aquamarine 300
119. Cut blue aquamarine, ellipsoid 300
120. Pendant of aquamarine in form of pear, studded with diamonds 180
121. Chain bracelet with three rubies and diamonds 2,500
122. Platinum bracelet with three aquamarines in form of heart and 2 kuntzite stones and small pearls 250
123. Bracelet with small emeralds cabochon, one pearl and studded with diamonds 50
124. " with four aquamarines 35
125. " with turquoise and studded with diamonds 50
126. " with agate 30
127. " with amethyst 55
128. " with two rubies 250
129. " with gold, ordinary form, 2 20
130. " gold, engraved "Alexandra" studded with uncut diamonds 500
131. " Chain bracelet with trinket 1914 10
132. Bracelet, ordinary, iron, 2 -
133. Gold locket 5
134. [illegible] with emeralds and studded with diamonds, one of them is platinum, 2 750
135. " with diamond and rubies 500
136. " with ruby 500
137. " with aquamarine and small uncut diamonds 50
138. " with two sapphires and diamond 75
139. " with agate and small uncut diamonds 20
140. " with diamond 150
141. Waistband from small pearls with 11 big rubies, studded with diamonds and rubies 75,000
142. Silver panagia with gold chain 200
143. Silver " with gold chain and gems 300
144. Silver panagia with gems 100
145. Mother of pearl " with silver chain 50
146. Silver " with pearls 150
147. Silver " 25
148. Crosses " with gems, 3 450
149. " ", 1 80
150. " " 75
151. Mother of pearl " 25
152. Silver " with pearls 180
153. A gold chain with Father Superior's Cross 100
154. Small silver icons, 5 -
TOTAL according to our expert's appraisal 3, 270, 693 rubles, 50 k.
Signed by Appraisers Zverev and Borovskikh, Officials ECD 8th Department. Urals OGPU Operations Plenipotentiary Maksevitch and Borodin.
[Note: the addition is incorrect in the total in the original document, the actual total is 3, 270,793 rubles 50 k
Re: Imperial Russian jewels found in Tobolsk, 1933
Amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to type up this extraordinarily long list of jewels Kat Max. I really appreciate the effort you have taken to do this post.
I was very interested to read the information in the link you provided Kat Max. It is amazing that there were so many "depositories" of the Russian Imperial jewels.
In the list Kat Max provided there are a number of tiaras which are totally unfamiliar to me. Obviously the tiaras have not surfaced again in the Western auction markets. If they ever did, then their value would skyrocket. Or have they? Does anyone know?
Re: Imperial Russian jewels found in Tobolsk, 1933
The Bolsheviks' the revolutionary Russian government sold many of the reported jewels to raise money for their activities and to help run their new government. I somehow still believe they are lots of jewels and objects De art still in hiding and persons who may have stuff and are ignorant to their value or provenance. Beth what ever became of the reported Faberge egg reportedly owned by a former British spy and was held in a bank vault for many years? And they are many jewel houses such as Wartski who may have lots of the jewels of the past.
Regards,
Dave.
Previous Message
Amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to type up this extraordinarily long list of jewels Kat Max. I really appreciate the effort you have taken to do this post.
I was very interested to read the information in the link you provided Kat Max. It is amazing that there were so many "depositories" of the Russian Imperial jewels.
In the list Kat Max provided there are a number of tiaras which are totally unfamiliar to me. Obviously the tiaras have not surfaced again in the Western auction markets. If they ever did, then their value would skyrocket. Or have they? Does anyone know?
Re: Imperial Russian jewels found in Tobolsk, 1933
"Also missing our iridescent emeralds and the celebrated alexandrites once so abundant in the imperial caskets. No explanation of this loss has ever been given.."
"Many of us remember the fatal year of 1906 when the Section of TT. II. MM Household offered for sale a great quantity of very ancient gems, property of the tsarita. Bought by foreign lapidaries, a portion of the lot easily fetched over one million roubles gold and if truth be known the stones thus disposed of, were unique specimens unique, large emeralds and all Catherine II famous amethysts (not mentioning a series of minor historic jewels".
In the 19th century Siberian Amethysts and Alexandrites were highly sought after jewels. The best amethysts were a deep purple with a red flash in their depths while natural alexandrites have never been abundant stones.
Re: Imperial Russian jewels found in Tobolsk, 1933
What has always intrigued me is that the Tobolsk jewels were found after the major sales yet seemed to have never appeared on the market.
This really leaves only two conclusions they are either whole or in part intact.
If I remember wasn’t there an aquamarine diadem that came up in one of the auction houses private sales a few years back that looked exactly like one that had belonged to the Tsarina and came from the Tobolsk collection?
Previous Message
I was having a look through the 1925 Fersman catalogue of the Russian Imperial jewels that was put together before they were sold.
"Also missing our iridescent emeralds and the celebrated alexandrites once so abundant in the imperial caskets. No explanation of this loss has ever been given.."
"Many of us remember the fatal year of 1906 when the Section of TT. II. MM Household offered for sale a great quantity of very ancient gems, property of the tsarita. Bought by foreign lapidaries, a portion of the lot easily fetched over one million roubles gold and if truth be known the stones thus disposed of, were unique specimens unique, large emeralds and all Catherine II famous amethysts (not mentioning a series of minor historic jewels".
In the 19th century Siberian Amethysts and Alexandrites were highly sought after jewels. The best amethysts were a deep purple with a red flash in their depths while natural alexandrites have never been abundant stones.
Re: Imperial Russian jewels found in Tobolsk, 1933 personal jewels of Empress Alexandra
We start with the Tobolsk list in 2014, The lost jewellery of Empress Alexandra Feodorowna of Russia And Uwe was so kind to rebuild the stomacher with aquamarine
Position:50. Brooch in form of twigs studded with diamonds and aquamarine 800
List of Imperial Valuables Found in Tobolsk, 1933: "On November 20, 1933, we the undersigned appraisers Zverev and Borovskikh, evaluated the valuables below, shown to us in the presence of ECD PR officials Maksevich and Borodin, whereupon it was found:
No 1 It is well known that some of the personal jewelery formerly belonging to the late Empress of Russia was discovered in 1933 in Tobolsk and was confiscated by the Russian government. The most valuable piece in the treasury was a diamond brooch with a large single diamond of 100 carats, together with many smaller diamonds set in a typical Russian cluster brooch.
No 12 The lost pearl jewellery of Empress Alexandra Feodorowna of Russia
The personal jewellery formerly belonging to the late Empress of Russia was discovered in 1933 in Tobolsk and was confiscated by the Russian government.
thank you very much for that informative post Ursula. You have obviously spent a lot of time with this list of jewels to have made these connections. Not always an easy thing to do with descriptions alone.
Re: Imperial Russian jewels found in Tobolsk, 1933 personal jewels of Empress Alexandra
So very nice to see you again Ursula. You add so much fervour to this community. Hope to have you be a constant.
Regards,
Dave.
Previous Message
We start with the Tobolsk list in 2014, The lost jewellery of Empress Alexandra Feodorowna of Russia And Uwe was so kind to rebuild the stomacher with aquamarine
Position:50. Brooch in form of twigs studded with diamonds and aquamarine 800
List of Imperial Valuables Found in Tobolsk, 1933: "On November 20, 1933, we the undersigned appraisers Zverev and Borovskikh, evaluated the valuables below, shown to us in the presence of ECD PR officials Maksevich and Borodin, whereupon it was found:
No 1 It is well known that some of the personal jewelery formerly belonging to the late Empress of Russia was discovered in 1933 in Tobolsk and was confiscated by the Russian government. The most valuable piece in the treasury was a diamond brooch with a large single diamond of 100 carats, together with many smaller diamonds set in a typical Russian cluster brooch.
No 12 The lost pearl jewellery of Empress Alexandra Feodorowna of Russia
The personal jewellery formerly belonging to the late Empress of Russia was discovered in 1933 in Tobolsk and was confiscated by the Russian government.