Schmuck und Juwelen der Großfürstin Ella

Großfürstin Elisabeth Feodorowna erhielt anlässlich der Krönung von Nikolaus zum Zaren diese Diamant - Brosche von Faberge.in Form der imperialen Krone mit zwei Kissenförmig geschliffenen Diamanten.

Fürst Metternich erinnert sich in seinen Memoiren::
- Moskau, Ella und Sergei -
"Einige Jahre davor hatte ich die Kapelle aufgesucht, in der ihr Gatte begraben lag - neben der Stelle, wo er ermordet worden war. Der Altaraufsatz war mit allen seinen Ikonen geschmückt; eine von ihnen war ihm von einem Unbekannten in den Schoß geworfen worden, als er als Kind mit seiner Mutter im offenen Wagen durch die Straßen von Moskau fuhr. Er betrachtete dies als ein Zeichen dafür, daß er in Moskau sterben würde. An einem Kerzenleuchter hing das Armband, das die Großfürstin zu ihrer Verlobung bekommen hatte; an einem anderen waren die kleinen, mit Juwelen besetzten Ostereier angebracht, die sie von ihrem Gatten während all der Jahre erhalten hatte."

Faberge Diamond Coronation Brooch of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna| Fringe Tiara Kokoshnik Necklace

The Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna (1864-1918), affectionately known as Ella by her family, married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, the fifth son of Tsar Alexander II.
Serge had the Romanov eye for fine jewellery, and on their engagement he presented Ella with cases of splendid rubies, emeralds and diamonds. He insisted that she should try them all on, and helped to decorate her with them till she could hardly stand underneath the weight, while he admired the result. With laughter she recalled that she looked like a Christmas tree, and that they spent a long time removing them afterwards, "as we couldn´t find the clasps"
.
In this picture the Grand Duchess wears a fringe necklace of diamonds and her Fabergé necklace as a bordure draped on her gown with a brooch displayed on the corsage. The tiara resembles a woven basket in construction and is set with gems.

On her birthday in 1884, in the year after her marriage, where previously she had been content with small trickets from her sisters, the imperial family gave her glistening jewelry. Sergei's present was 'two half moons in diamonds with long ruby, uncut, in the middle and a fan in beaten gold...' probably worne above

The diamond brooch in the form of a crown set with two large cushion-shaped diamonds each weighing over 15 carats was given to Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, sister of Princess Alix of Hesse, to mark the coronation of the imperial couple in 1896.
The brooch was one of approximately half a dozen made on this occasion by Fabergé for the highest ranking grand duchesses. The Dowager Empress and the Tsarina received larger versions of the same jewel.
At 5250 roubles, this particular brooch cost more than all the lavishly decorated Imperial Easter eggs which Tsar Alexander III had commissioned from Fabergé for his consort every Easter since 1885.

Source: Wartski; John van der Kiste, "The Romanov 1818-1959" pages 146-147.