FERSMAN, Alexandre Evgenevitch. - Lot 150

FERSMAN, Alexandre Evgenevitch. Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Precious Stones People's Commissariat of Finance, Moscow, 1925. Folio format, volumes 1 through 4, 98 unbound plates, portfolio with flaps and laces, and original sleeves. Part 1: Text booklet of 32 pp. and plates I (1) through XXV (25). Part 2: Text booklet of 25 pp. and plates XXVI (26) through XLIX (49). Part 3: Text booklet of 30 pp. and plates LI (51) through LXXV (75). Part 4: Text booklet of 37 pp. and plates LXXVI (76) through C (100). (Plates XIV (14) in Part 1 and L (50) in Part 2 are missing; foxing and water stains; small tears). Now extremely rare, this work is considered a fundamental resource for historians, collectors, and experts, as it preserves the memory of numerous imperial jewels that have since disappeared or been scattered across the globe. The book features several hundred exceptional pieces, including the Grand Imperial Crown, the scepter, and the imperial globe, as well as numerous pieces of jewelry that belonged to the tsars and empresses. Thanks to its photographs and detailed descriptions, it remains an essential source for the study of Russian imperial jewels. Beyond its documentary purpose, this catalog also served an economic objective: it helped raise awareness of these treasures abroad at a time when the Soviet Union was seeking foreign currency. In the years that followed, a significant portion of these jewels was sold or dispersed on the international market, with some even being dismantled to recover their precious stones. Appraisal in collaboration with Edgar Clin. Expert in Russian Art.