.A beautiful record and a stunning gift for the connoisseur of Imperial Russian jewelry Imperial Russian jewelry has its own special allure and is highly appreciated by collectors and connoisseurs around the world. This book offers a fascinating range of jewels and objects d'art crafted in St Petersburg during the golden age of ornamental design. Starting with the reign of Elizabeth, Empress of Russia, through that of Catherine the Great and ending in 1917 with the passing of Nicholas the 2nd, the book is intertwined with captivating personal and imperial history. It describes the development of style and design within the art of the St Petersburg goldsmith, while putting it into historical context. Many of the pieces portrayed come from private collections in Finland and Sweden, each with a unique prominence happily preserved in anecdotes, letters, diaries, historical documents, and photographs. Magnificent portraits from Russia's most prestigious museums can likewise be found throughout the book's 300 deeply illustrated pages."