I'm so excited for this month's talk when I'll be joined by Prince Dimitri — the great-great-great-grandson of Tsar Alexander II — for a uniquely personal journey back in time to the opulent palaces of pre-revolutionary Russia. Diamonds and high drama is a beguiling mix at the best of times but in the context of the Romanovs it becomes intoxicating.
This image shows one of Cartier's best clients of the early 20th century: Grand Duchess Vladimir, wearing her Cartier tiara and devant de corsage.
Behind her is an original letter I dug up during that decade I spent in the rabbit holes of family research — written by a Cartier representative in 1908 requesting an audience with the Russian royals (it clearly did the trick).
I've been fascinated by Grand Duchess Vladimir for years: how she led the St Petersburg social scene before being forced to flee her country, how her Romanov emeralds ended up adorning Barbara Hutton, and how, decades after her death, a multi-million dollar cache of long-lost jewels were discovered in two pillowcases in Stockholm.
No surprise then that when the opportunity arose to speak to someone directly connected to her extraordinary tale, I jumped at it.
We hope you can join us for this behind-the-scenes webinar on 19 November as we share intertwining stories of the Cartiers and the Romanovs from the perspective of both families.
Yes, there will be gems aplenty — enormous sapphires, emerald necklaces, ruby tiaras and rock crystal bandeaus — but in a way that's just the icing on the cake.
Because as you'll see, the history we've uncovered, with all its twists and turns, is almost more like a Bond film than real life: spies and smuggling, marriages and murders, glamorous costume balls and secret arrests, all set against the fairytale façade of a snow-filled St Petersburg.
