Elizabeth’s jewels were truly royal jewelry, complemented by the queen’s dresses of the 18th century, embroidered with gold and silver. The Hermitage still retains some of the luxury that adorned the neck and ears of the Russian Empress from the Romanov dynasty — Elizabeth Petrovna. She was the youngest daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. And it was she who led the country during two major conflicts — the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years ‘ Battle.
Among the most luxurious jewelry of Elizabeth Petrovna are: A necklace with a miniature watch, made according to her own design. It was after this that the variants with small watches became fashionable. And popular among the noble women of the 18th century. The queen’s crown consisted of two hemispheres inlaid with pearls and diamonds. A diamond cross was placed on the top. The weight of the product was about 2 kg, so the ruler wore it only for the most solemn celebrations. A small crown was always present on the empress ‘ head. It was a copy of the larger version, but was decorated with small diamonds, which significantly reduced the weight of the product.
A collection of brooches in the form of flowers and with other floral motifs suited Elizabeth. The most famous is her “merry queen” tiara, made of white, gold, pink diamonds and enameled green petals with an asymmetric diamond bee. Precious bouquets, which were performed by renowned court jeweler Jeremiah posier. They consisted of expensive precious stones, gold, silver, and enamel. The most famous of them is a Large bouquet. It included emerald leaves and diamond buds, which are considered the rarest in nature.
The unique diamond agraph brooch for the ermine mantle was also made by Master Posier at the request of the Queen. It has survived to this day and is kept in the Diamond Fund of Russia. The width of the decoration is 25 cm, the height is 11 cm. For shine, 805 diamonds are fixed in the product. The unique sclavage bow brooch is made in the shape of a butterfly with 21 large scarlet spinels and a scattering of small diamonds.
It was fastened with a velvet lace ribbon that clung tightly to her neck. The Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was very fond of jewelry and was always happy with a new precious “trinket”. Especially beautiful is her collection of unique handmade jewelry boxes. And her wardrobe consisted of many dresses, embroidered with gold and silver. After her death, there are more than 15 thousand options for luxurious outfits in the wardrobe. Elizabeth’s jewels