Marie Betteley Antique & Vintage Jewelry

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Khlebnikov and Surviving the Melting Pot

  When you consider the huge volume of silver and treasures that was melted down by the Bolsheviks in the wake of the Russian revolution of 1917, it’s a wonder any of it survived at all. In that tumultuous time, literally tons of silver faced the melting pot, from large-scale punch bowls, candelabra, commemorative trophies, processional icons, chargers and tea…
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Gems that Changed My Life

  There I was gazing at the finest gems and jewels on the planet. I had landed a plum job as gemologist at Christie’s, the world-renowned auction house in New York. Working behind the scenes, hunched over a microscope, my role was to examine and test the world’s finest precious gems to make certain they passed muster – 20+ carat…
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Russian Gold Pen by Friedrich Köchli, St. Petersburg, 1890s

I bought this pen not knowing who made it. I knew it was Russian and that it was made before the Revolution. It had the right look, feel and heft, with a wonderful rose gold patina. I picked it up, pretended to sign a document with it and I knew one thing: I had to have it. So you can…
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Tea in St. Petersburg – A Tour Guest’s Experience

This year, we embarked on the maiden voyage of what is sure to become one of our most popular tour experiences – our Walking Tour of St. Petersburg Jewelers. During our remarkable journey guests retraced the steps of the renowned Jewelers to the Romanov Court, including Bolin, Friedrich Koechli, Carl August Hahn and Carl Fabergé, to name but a few….
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