I fell in love with Dutch silver miniatures by chance, the same way I succumbed to Russian imperial works of art. I have no Russian nor Dutch blood whatsoever. But in the case of Russian jewels, it had to do with living in a museum as a teenager surrounded by Russian treasures. More on this […]
Category: Treasures
Cushion-cut Diamond Gold Royal Crown Pin, 19th century
https://mariebetteley.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BR140-2.mp4 When I saw this brooch I loved its shape. Plus there’s a beautiful cushion cut diamond in the middle topped by a rose diamond cross. The quality is excellent. It was definitely a royal crown and set with diamonds, but from what country? Also special is the depth of it. Unlike many crown brooches from […]
Tucson Takeaway 2024
I just returned from my first trip to the amazing gem and mineral bonanza in Tucson Arizona. I had heard about this for years and it was time to go. Little did I realize that it wasn’t just one or two big shows but 43 altogether! Studying the official guide was a necessary first step […]
Russian Master Jeweler Vladimir Finikov
Our Spotlight on Russian Jewelers, showcasing the many talented artisans of Imperial Russia continues with Vladimir Finikov. Many of the House of Bolin’ workmasters in St. Petersburg were of European or Swedish descent. Finikov, Bolin’s chief jeweler was native to Russia and a brilliant jeweler, designer and silversmith. In jewelry he worked with large baroque […]
Stellar St. Petersburg Jeweler: Sophia Schwan
This star sapphire brooch is by a brilliant St. Petersburg jeweler named Sophia Schwan. Sophia Ivanovna (active 1898–1917) was a workmaster of the Court jeweler Bolin of Russia. Bolin sold the finest jewels in the Russian empire in the 19th century and was the most expensive jeweler in the land. Sophia was the widow of Robert […]
Difficult to Pronounce…
Is the name of Leopold Pfisterer, a leading 18th century St Petersburg jeweler, but feast your eyes on the master’s glittering creations. Jeweler to the Empress of All Russias Catherine the Great, for as long the monarch reigned, some 30 years, Pfisterer produced magnificent treasures some of which are still preserved in the Diamond Fund […]
Behind Every Great Man…
Enter Catherine I, the first in a line of five Empresses of Russia in the 18th century whose reign, beginning in 1725 would mark the dawn of the Romanov Dynasty’s glorious age of jewels and diamonds. Catherine was overshadowed by her husband Tsar Peter the Great, the mighty sovereign who founded St. Petersburg. Yet the […]
A Rare Find: A Russian Aquamarine Necklace and Ring Parure
The parure (a French word for jewelry set) was still the height of fashion not only in London, Paris and Vienna, but also in the courts of St. Petersburg, at the turn of the 20th century. It often consisted of a necklace, bracelet, pair of earrings, a ring, several brooches and, for the grand ones, […]
What Learned in 2019, plus Exciting Events for 2020
After almost three decades in the jewelry business, I’m still learning. In fact, not a day goes by that I don’t discover something fascinating. Here are a few fun facts I gleaned from recent publications in 2019: Did you know that … In the 1660s London was the leading diamond cutting center in the world? […]
Summer Reflections from a Jewelry, Art & Treasures Dealer on Her Trade
I love all aspects of my work, and the end of the Spring season is the perfect time to reflect on what’s happened and what’s to come – and to share those reflections with you. Here’s what I’ve been thinking as summer kicks into high gear: Buying I recently gave a short talk titled, “How to […]