In December 2024, Jewels from the Collection of Princess Maria Pia of Savoy went on sale at Christies Auction house in Geneva.
One lot featured an exquisite diamond bow brooch, which once belonged to her grandmother, Queen Elena of Italy.
Described in the catalogue as:
Can also be worn as a pendant
Rose and old-cut diamonds, 18k gold and silver (French and customs marks), circa 1850
Main diamond: with an approximate weight of 6.0 carats
Remaining diamonds: with a total approximate weight of 11.50-12.50 carats
Size/Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.6 cm
Gross weight: 57.2 grams
Queen Elena was originally a Montenegrin Princess, daughter of King Nicolas I. Born in 1873, she was educated at the Smolny Institute in St Petersburg, Russia. Her sisters had both married into the Imperial family and were later blamed for introducing Grigori Rasputin to the Tsarina Alexandra. Elena would go on to marry Victor Emmanuel of Italy in 1896, becoming Queen in 1900.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Communists seized the Imperial family’s possession, including their vast jewellery collection. Some Romanov’s did manage to get their jewels out of Russia but any that remained were sold to fund the new regime in the famous auction of 1921.
To accompany this sale, the Communists produced an impressive catalogue with high quality photographs and descriptions to encourage buyers.
In Part Three of the Catalogue, Plate 58 (LVIII), there is a selection of brooches, buckles, button, and dress ornaments.
There is no record of who bought this brooch. Many dealers and collectors bought pieces and sold them on not wanting to disclose their dubious provenance. But given the dimensions and the carat weights mentioned in the Russian catalogue and the Christie’s description are extremely similar, there is the tantalising possibility that a Jewel belonging to Catherine the Great may have briefly resurfaced only to be lost to us once again.
