In Part 1 of the Fate of the Crown Jewels I wrote about the missing Russian crown jewels and you might be wondering how the lot ended up in the hands of the Bolsheviks. Well, in 1914 when Germany invaded Russia and the Great War erupted, the Russian Crown Jewels were packed into eight sealed trunks and were expedited from…
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The Fate of the Russian Crown Jewels, Part I
Ever wonder whatever happened to the magnificent Russian Crown Jewels, those that graced the heads, gowns and decolletés of the empresses and made the Russian empire of the Romanovs the richest court in Europe? I do, all the time! Thankfully the imperial regalia and a few sumptuous jewels remained in the Moscow Kremlin and are on view in the Diamond…
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Listen to Marie on the Jewelry Journey Podcast
I’m beyond honored to have been a recent guest on Sharon Berman’s extraordinary Jewelry Journey podcast. What a treat to talk with Sharon about all things having to do with Russia’s rich jewelry history. We had a fantastic conversation and I’m so thrilled to share the episode with you! LISTEN RIGHT HERE Here’s just a glimpse of what we…
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The City of Light Beckons-See Paris with Marie!
In 2010, I took a year-long, work-related sabbatical in Paris. I was born and grew up there, but this sabbatical changed it all for me. As a little girl, Paris seemed gray, rainy and dreary. My French mom loved it to bits, not me. This time, though – rain or shine – it was dazzling. First, the jewels. Amazing…
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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – My Farewell to Cambridge
It’s right outside our window, a winding yellow brick road, more like a path but (unlike Kansas) there’s green everywhere, including a 10-foot beech hedge on the right. Very British. Leading to the Clare Hall pool, scores of school kids use it and I love to hear their British voices chirping along with songbirds, as they make their way…
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Royal Wedding, Birmingham & Beyoncé – Visiting the Capital of British Jewelry
Jewels everywhere! Yesterday on my bike in search of treasures in town, passing through the Cambridge market square I saw a huge TV screen with rows of union jacks flapping in the wind. But of course, this was the Royal Wedding. They were handing out foldout chairs so I hightailed it to Caffé Nero (my daughter works there) got…
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