RUSSIAN CROWN JEWELS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1926, Page 7

RUSSIAN CROWN JEWELS

DISPOSAL REPORT UNTRUE COLLECTION DISPLAYED KWONDERFUL HANDICRAFT Hr T»l«gr*ph—Fr«w Ajsml— Cswyrtgh*. Received Dee. 14, 9.50 p.m. Moscow, Dec. 13. The amazing vicissitudes of the Russian Crown jewels, which have been variously reported as sold in Faris and New York, or as stolen and broken up by thieves, or by the Soviet, anxious to secure funds, reached a climax to day when it was definitely revealed that they are still in the Kremlin, where they are being publicly exhibited for the first time since the revolution. They presenteel an extraordinary spectacle. Valued at £50,.000,000, they are guarded by special police wearing poeketless uniforms. A curious feature of the collection is the number of jewelled toys, including miracles of craftsmanship such as an 8-ineh orange tree encrusted with rubies, diamonds and pearls realistically representing fruit and foliage, and set in a mother of pearl tub which opens to show a blue and green parrot an inch long, which is able io sing, walk and flutter its wings. There is also a miniature train with gold carriages and a platinum locomotive. Another exhibit is a perfect watch no bigger and no thicker than sixpence. There is also a priceless jade model of Queen Victoria, four inches high, with a suggestion of caricature, as the tiny crown, composed of a single diamond, is atilt on the Queen’s head. One diamond, which is centuries old, is one inch long and half an inch across. It was given by the Shah of Persia to a Tsar to prevent a threatened war. Other items are a wonderful Indian sapphire of 253 carats, which is tentatively valued at £2,000,000, an emerald of 153 carats valued at £14,000,000, another emerald two and a-half inches in diameter, valued at £2,000,000, hut, overshadowing all was the Imperial crown, ablaze with colours and solidly encrusted with diamonds, with a double row of gigantic matched pearls. In the great sceptre blazed the famous Orloff diamond.