083
1900 Peter Carl Fabergé
makes a miniature replica
of the Imperial Crown
and RegaliaCATHERINE THE GREAT’S SPINEL
C
atherine the Great’s “ruby” is
the glittering showpiece of the
Russian Imperial Crown. It is one
of the “Seven Historic Stones”,
the rarest and most prized items in the royal
collection of jewellery that was amassed by
Peter the Great. This collection – now known
as the Diamond Fund – was enlarged by
later tsars, but always belonged to the State.
The “ruby” is actually a 398.72-carat
red spinel, the second largest in the world.
At the time, spinels were known as “balas
rubies”, taking their name from a famous
mine in present-day Afghanistan. Russian
envoy Nikolai Spafary acquired the gemstone
in China while conducting trade negotiations
with the emperor in 1676. He reportedly paid
“a very pretty price” of 2,672 rubles for it.
The spinel already had a colourful history.
According to legend, it was
found in the 14th century by
Chun Li, a Chinese mercenary
in Turkic conqueror Timur’s
army. He found it in the
mines of Badakhshan,
where he had been
exiled after stealinggems in Samarkand. Chun Li tried to
present it to the emperor in the hope of
winning a pardon, but was murdered by
a greedy palace guard who, in turn, was
executed when his crime was discovered.
Catherine the Great commissioned the
magnificent Imperial Crown for her 1762
coronation. It was fashioned by the court
jeweller, Jérémie Pauzié, who removed the
spinel from an earlier crown and added
other jewels from the royal collection. Worn
by Catherine’s successors, the crown was
concealed from view after the Revolution.Key dates
1676–1990s
165017001750180019251676 The Russian
ambassador purchases
the “ruby” in China1719 Peter the Great’s gem
collection forms the nucleus
of the Diamond Fund1762 Catherine the Great
commissions the Imperial
Crown for her coronation1906 The crown makes its
final official appearance at
the State Opening of the
Duma (legislative assembly)1967 The treasures
of the Diamond Fund
are exhibited to select
high-ranking officials1926 The royal jewel
collection is rediscovered,
and many items are sold off1896 The crown features in
the coronation of Nicholas II,
the last of the Tsars195020001900Peter the Great,
Tsar of Russia, c.1717The spinel
must have been
an exceedingly
unlucky stone
Diane Morgan
AuthorCatherine the Great’s
spinel
Russian Imperial Crown, displaying the spinel
mounted on a central arch, accompanied by
9,936 diamonds and 74 pearlsEmperor Paul I of Russia, Catherine’s only son,
wearing the crown c.1800△ Portrait of Tsar Nicholas II on his coronation day, wearing the Russian Imperial Crown with its spinelCatherine the
Great’s spinel1914 With the outbreak
of war, the gem collection
is moved to Kremlin vaults1990s After the fall of
Communism, the crown is
placed on display at the
Kremlin Armoury Museum082-083_STO_Samarian_Spinel.indd 83 18/05/2016 11:43