The Diamond Fund is a unique collection of historical monuments, jewelry masterpieces, rare samples of precious stones, and nuggets of precious metals. This is one of the few treasures in the world that holds the crown jewels.
The history of its creation dates back to1719, when Peter I issueda decree on arranging a special room for the storage of "state-owned things", later called the Diamond Room. State regalia, orders, and ceremonial jewelry are concentrated there.
The collection got formally established in the first half of the 18th century, when Emperor Peter I decided to create the State Repository of Crown Values.
Among the treasures of the Diamond Fund, which made the collection world famous, there is a special group of objects that were used in coronations and on other occasions of special importance and were designed to embody the greatness and wealth of the empire.
For the coronation of Empress Catherine II in 1762, the Great Imperial Crown was created in just two months. The crown of the Russian Empire is adorned with 4936 diamonds weighing 2858 carats and 75 Indian large matte pearls. The most famous of the crown jewels is spinel weighing 398.72 carats.
The collection of the Diamond Fund contains the orb made for the coronation of Catherine II - a finely polished golden ball, girded with diamond belts. The crown of the orb is a 195-carat Ceylon sapphire under the cross.
The exhibition presents jewelry of the middle of the 18th century, created during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. This time was an important stage in the formation of the Diamond Fund collection.
"Big Bouquet" presents an example of decoration for the dress of the Empress. Diamond flowers of wild rose, iris, daffodil, forget-me-nots and leaves made of flat emeralds are set on flexible golden stems, raised to different heights and turned at different angles, which makes the composition three dimensional.
The unique exhibits of the Diamond Fund include seven world famous gems. These are three diamonds and four gems with unusual history. The largest and most famous of them is the Orlov diamond, which adorns the imperial scepter of Empress Catherine II.
In addition to the famous collection of seven historical stones, the collection of the Diamond Fund also contains a number of extraordinary precious stones.
The collection of large inscribed gem-quality diamonds of the Diamond Fund is unique and of great scientific value. These large gems are valuable as specimens of rare natural formations, the study of which can shed light on the conditions of their origin.
The collection of the Diamond Fund includes a unique collection of gold and platinum nuggets. One hundred and one nuggets of gold from various deposits in Russia stored in the Foundation's collection are of great scientific interest and material value.
One-humped "Camel" weighing 9 kg 300 grams, found in the Kolymskoye deposit in 1947, stands out among nuggets of unusual shape.
The insignia of the orders of the Russian Empire presented at the exhibition were made specially to award members of the imperial house. As all other items from the collection of crown diamonds, they were used in the most significant ceremonies. As compared to all similar orders of the state these ones boast unparalleled abundance of gold, silver, rare gemstones, diamonds and superfine mastery.
Lots of important events and turns in the past and present of Russia have been accompanied with these stones and relics that you can see all together in the Diamond Fund. This unique landmark of Moscow is located in the Kremlin Armory.