Empires, kingdoms, royalty, unusual jewelry, etc.

“The greatest historical diamond that has retained its original cut is the Great Mughal. This legendary stone is the largest diamond ever found in India. It was the pride of the Indian padishahs and Persian shahanshahs, and now adorns the scepter of the Russian Empire and is known throughout the world under the name Orlov.

The Orlov diamond was presumably found in the early 17th century in the Kollur mines of the Golconda Sultanate—the richest diamond deposit in India. In 1658, Jehan Shah's son, Aurangzeb, dethroned his father and assumed the Mughal throne, appropriating all his treasures. In 1665, the French merchant and explorer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was admitted to Aurangzeb's court and granted permission to compile an inventory of the Shah's treasures. Tavernier was the first European to see and document the Peacock Throne and the legendary diamond. Aurangzeb died in 1707, and in 1738, Nadir Shah conquered India, captured Delhi, and took all the captured treasures, including the Orlov Diamond, to Persia. After the Shah's assassination in 1747, the stone made its way to Europe and then to the British Isles.

After reaching London, the stone's fate is clearly traced through documents. It is known that there, after a series of resale transactions, the diamond was purchased by the Armenian Grigory Safras, who sold it to Russia.

Count Grigory Orlov, a favorite and ally of Empress Catherine the Great, presented the Russian ruler with this treasure on November 24, 1773, at a celebration marking her name day. In 1774, Catherine II ordered the diamond set into the finial of the Imperial Scepter, and it was named the "Orlov."

Unlike its historical counterparts—the Koh-i-Noor, Sancy, and Hope diamonds—which were barbarically recut in modern times, the Orlov diamond retained its original Indian Rose cut, offering a glimpse into the beauty and cutting technology of large stones in the 17th century!

Weighing 199.6 carats, the stone is cut in the Indian Rose shape and has 180 facets.

“The Moscow Kremlin Armory holds two crowns modeled after European royal crowns.

However, these are not royal regalia, but paired crowns for Orthodox weddings. They originate from the Moscow Church of the Great Ascension at the Nikitsky Gate.

The two gilded silver wedding crowns, richly decorated with diamonds, rubies, and pearls with enamel medallions, were created in St. Petersburg at the Duval workshop. Legend has it that the client was none other than Empress Catherine's favorite, Prince Grigory Potemkin. The crowns were needed for a secret wedding in 1774.

There were no witnesses to the wedding of Catherine II and Potemkin; the clergy were required to maintain eternal silence. From this marriage they had a daughter, named Elizaveta, who received the rather telling surname of Temkina.

Both wedding crowns remained in the church. Potemkin later wanted to transform this modest monastery into a cathedral...

“Tenth century mosaic of Emperor Alexander, Hagia Sophia - This remarkable portrait of the Emperor Alexander (912-913 AD) was discovered in the late 1950s by the Byzantine Institute as they were conducting restoration work on Hagia Sophia.

The mosaic shows Alexander wearing his crown and holding a translucent orb and the ceremonial akakia, a silk pouch filled with dust. He is surrounded by four cruciform monograms that identify the Emperor with a prayer. (top left) KYPlE BOΘEI ΔOYΩ (Lord help your servant) - (top right) AΛEΞANΔPOC (Alexander) - (bottom left) OPΘOΔOΞΩ (the orthodox) - (bottom right) ΠICTΩ ΔECΠTH (faithful emperor). The mosaic had been plastered over during the Ottoman period when Hagia Sophia served as a mosque.

Alexander was the son of Emperor Basil I and the Empress Eudokia. He was crowned co-emperor as a child in 879 AD by his father. He remained co-Emperor during the reign of his brother Leo VI (886-912) and then assumed the throne in 912 AD at the age of 41. He died the following year due after over exerting himself in a game of polo. He was succeeded by his nephew Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos, whose long reign was one of the most stable in the history of Byzantium.

On this day, June 8 2019

Full Credits: Baelena Books

#nocopyrightinfringementintended”

“The largest historical stone of the Russian Empire is the Menshikov Ruby, which adorns the Great Imperial Crown.

This magnificent gemstone is more than twice the size of the so-called Black Prince's Ruby and is also a red, noble spinel.

The Moscow spinel weighs approximately 400 carats, compared to 170 carats for the London stone.

The spinel was purchased in China by a Russian official in the early 18th century, and from 1721 onward, it adorned the imperial crowns of various rulers until it was finally installed on the Great Imperial Crown in 1761. The red stone adorns the diamond-and-pearl crown to this day.

The main imperial regalia is kept in the Diamond Fund exhibition in the Kremlin.”