#imperialcrownofrussia

[russianminerva]

Imperial Crown of Russia

I was crowned at the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow on September 22, 1762. The Imperial Crown of Russia was actually designed to my specifications by Swiss-French court diamond jeweller Jérémie Pauzié. Inspired by the Byzantine Empire design, the crown was constructed of two gold and silver half spheres, representing the eastern and western Roman empires, divided by a foliate garland and fastened with a low hoop. The crown contains 75 pearls and 4,936 Indian diamonds forming laurel and oak leaves, the symbols of power and strength, and is surmounted by a 398.62-carat ruby spinel that previously belonged to the Empress Elizabeth, and a diamond cross. The crown was produced in a record two months and weighed 2.3 kg. It was definitely a heavy crown to carry on my head...

#empress #catherine the great #imperialcrownofrussia #crown