The Great Imperial Crown

The Great Imperial Crown was made by a skilled court jeweler Jeremia Posier for the Empress Catherine II the Great’s Coronation in 1762. It has a traditional shape and is made up of the two open hemispheres divided by a foliate garland and fastened with a low hoop. The crown is set with 5,000 selected Indian diamonds (some Russian sources state this number as 4,836) and and number fine, large white pearls. The crown is also decorated with one of the seven historic stones of the Russia’s Diamond Collection – a large precious red spinal weighing 398.72 carats which was brought to Russia by Nicholas Spafary, the Russian envoy to China from 1675 to 1678.

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer wearing the Mackay Emerald Necklace

The stunning 167.97-carat Mackay Emerald was mined in Muzo, Columbia. The largest cut emerald in the National Gem Collection, it is set in an Art Deco diamond and platinum necklace designed by Cartier Inc. In 1931, Clarence H. Mackay presented the necklace as a wedding gift to his wife, Anna Case, a prima donna of the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1909 to 1920. The piece was donated to the Smithsonian Institute by Mrs. Anna Case Mackay in 1984. Source: The National Gem Collection by Jeffrey E. Post.

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer wearing the Mackay Emerald Necklace and holds the Star of Asia, the Star of Bombay and the Rosser Reeves Star Ruby.