First third of the 19^th century

At the beginning of the 19^th century, the world was fascinated with ancient art. The most widespread jewelry item in Russia was a diadem – headdress in the form of “kokoshnik”. It was called “The Russian Tiara” in the West and was popular with leading jewelery houses, Cartier, Boucheron, etc. Diadems remained in fashion at the Russian court until early 19^th century.

The Diamond Fund collection includes the Kokoshnik Diadem, which belonged to Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I. Its form is typical for the Empire style: a triangle formed by diamonds of different shapes, cuts and sizes. Briolette, elongated pear-shaped gemstones, are movable. They tremble and twinkle at the slightest turn of the head. The central stone of the composition is a rare pale pink diamond weighing 13.35 carats.

You can learn more about jewels of this period at the exhibition.