A copy of Russia’s Great Imperial Crown that was produced by jewelers in Smolensk was displayed in Moscow on November 8
A copy of Russia’s Great Imperial Crown that was produced by jewelers in Smolensk was displayed in Moscow on November 8
The original crown was used at the coronation of the Romanov Tsars, starting with Catherine II (the Great) 250 years ago and ending with Nicholas II in 1894
The copy of the Great Imperial Crown is nearly 200 grams heavier than the original, which remains on display at the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow. The new crown is encrusted with 11,500 diamonds compared to 5,000 in the original
The crown’s frame is made of white gold, diamonds, pearl, and rubellite. The masters themselves have a hard time putting a dollar value on their creation
The crown will be displayed at exhibitions. Its location at other times is a closely held secret
The duplicate will probably be auctioned off at some point, although its creators hope it finds a permanent home in a Russian museum
