Diamond Fund

Image:Orlow (Diamant).jpg

Image:Imperial Crown of Russia (copy by Smolensk Diamonds company, 2012) - photo by Shakko 01.JPG

The gem collection of Peter I, established in 1719, was later stored in the Diamond Chamber (Бриллиантовая комната) in the Winter Palace. All succeeding monarchs added their contributions to the Chamber. A 1922 study by Alexander Fersman identified 85% of all exhibits to be from 1719 to 1855, to emperors Peter I through Nicholas I, and only 15% attributed from the last three emperors.

Catherine the Great exhibited a particular interest for expensive rocks, even naming her stallion "Diamond."{{cite book|first=Игорь|last=Зимин|title=Бриллиантовая комната Зимнего дворца|chapter=Ювелирные сокровища Российского императорского двора|language=ru|year=2013}} The Diamond Fund received more contributions from her than any other monarch.{{cite book|first=Николай|last=Непомнящий|title=100 великих сокровищ России|isbn=978-5-9533-2698-8|year=2008|publisher=Вече |language=ru}}

Image:The Soviet Union 1971 CPA 4068 stamp (Brooch Daffodil Bouquet (Gold, Diamonds), 18th Century).jpg

Preservation, sales and looting of Imperial treasures after the Russian Revolution of 1917 are a matter of controversy and speculation. The Imperial collection was moved from Saint Petersburg to Moscow during World War I; the Soviet Diamond Fund was officially established in 1922.[http://www1.minfin.ru/gohran/diamond/exhibition.htm official site] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070501000136/http://www1.minfin.ru/gohran/diamond/exhibition.htm |date=2007-05-01 }}

The treasure was first exhibited to the public in November 1967. Originally a short-term show, it became a permanent exhibition in 1968. During the late Soviet period, the value of the Fund's collection was estimated to be $7 billion.{{cite book |last=Farrell-Robert |first=Janine |title=Glitter & Greed: The Secret World of the Diamond Cartel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bHxgFQssc2IC&pg=PT451 |access-date=15 July 2017 |year=2007 |publisher=Red Wheel Weiser |isbn=9781609258801 |page=451}}

The Russian State retains the monopoly for mining and distribution of gemstones, as set by the 1998 law "On precious metals and precious stones". Diamond Fund operations are regulated by the 1999 presidential decree ([https://web.archive.org/web/20061017213329/http://www.diamond-chamber.ru/rus/Zak1524.htm official text]). The Diamond Fund is part of a larger State Fund of Precious Stones, managed by the Ministry of Finance, and accumulates the most valuable items, in particular

• All raw diamonds exceeding 50 carats (10 g)
• All cut diamonds exceeding 20 carats (4 g), cut diamonds of exceptional quality exceeding 6 carats (1.2 g)
• All raw emeralds, rubies, sapphires exceeding 30 carats (6 g) raw or 20 carats (4 g) cut
• Unique nuggets, amber, pearl and jewellery

• 2006 – "The Creator" (Творец), mined in Yakutia in 2004. Third largest raw diamond in the Fund, 298.48 carats (59.696 g){{cite web|url=http://www.rian.ru/economy/20060911/53728261.html|title=Якутия передала в Алмазный фонд третий в России по величине алмаз|date=11 September 2006 |language=ru|publisher=RIA|access-date=26 September 2018}}
• 2003 – golden nugget, 33 kg
• 1989 – "Alexander Pushkin", second-largest raw diamond, 320.65 carats (64.130 g)
• 1980 – "XXVI Congress of CPSU", largest raw diamond, 342.57 carats (68.514 g)

Image:The Soviet Union 1971 CPA 4069 stamp (Shah Diamond, 16th Century).jpg (1971 postage stamp)]]

• Orlov diamond, 189.62 carats (37.924 g) {[http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/orlovdiamond.html photograph]}
• Shah diamond, 88.7 carats (17.7 g), first inscription dated 1591, a gift from the Shah of Persia in 1829
• Flat portrait diamond, 25 carats (5 g)
• Red spinel, set in the Imperial Crown of Russia, 398.72 carats (79.744 g), purchased in China in 1676
• Sapphire, 260.37 carats (52.074 g) {[https://web.archive.org/web/20071006131823/http://www.mosmuseum.ru/rus/photo/treasures_of_russia/17.shtml photograph]}
• Colombian emerald, 136.25 carats (27.250 g)
• Olive-green chrysolite, 192.6 carats (38.52 g)

• Imperial Crown of Russia made for Catherine II, 1762

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101128023401/http://www.mosmuseum.ru/rus/photo/treasures_of_russia/3.shtml The Daffodil Bouquet]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101126150755/http://www.mosmuseum.ru/rus/photo/treasures_of_russia/6.shtml The Blue Fountain]

• "The Great Triangle", gold, 36.2 kg (mined in 1842 in Miass)
• "The Camel", gold, 9.28 kg
• "Mephisto", gold, 20.25 g (mined in 1944 in Kolyma)

The Diamond Fund is exhibited in the Kremlin Armoury building. For visitors, it is accessible only through tours of fixed duration due to the limited space inside the Fund. Tours in Russian are organized daily, at twenty-minute intervals. Foreign visitors can receive an audioguide in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese or Japanese.{{cite web|url=http://www.gokhran.ru/en/diamond-fund/visitors/services/index.phtml|title=Information for visitors|access-date=26 September 2018}}

• List of diamonds
• Alrosa
• Pink diamond
• Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.gokhran.ru/en/diamond-fund/index.phtml Official website of the Diamond Fund]
• [http://www.gokhran.ru/en/diamond-fund/visitors/services/index.phtml Information for visitors]
• [http://www.alexanderpalace.org/jewels/history.html History of the Diamond Fund] from the Alexander Palace website

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Category:Russian monarchy

Category:Museums in Moscow

Category:Moscow Kremlin

Category:Jewellery museums

Category:Diamond museums

Category:Diamond industry in the Soviet Union

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