L E G AC Y
R
ussia’s ruling Romanov family
had a passion for jewels, and the
upcoming book
Beyond Fabergé:
Imperial Russian Jewelry
focuses on
the rarified talents of the creators
responsible for these dazzling works. Written by
Marie Betteley and David Schimmelpenninck van
der Oye, it comes out in late October and takes
readers behind the scenes of the magnificent gem-
laden tiaras, necklaces, ceremonial and decorative
objects these monarchs amassed.
Betteley began her love affair with Russian
treasures in her teen years, when her father, Roy
Betteley, became director of the HillwoodMuseum
inWashington, DC, and the family moved to the
estate. The former home of cereal heiress Marjorie
Merriweather Post, Hillwood houses one the largest
The skilled court jewelers whose creations
adorned the fabled Romanovs are the stars of
a new book on the royal family’s inery.
BY PHYLLIS SCHILLER
collections of pre-revolutionary Russian decorative
arts in the world.
“I was surrounded by the glories of imperial
Russia at an early age,” recalls Betteley, now
a dealer. “Then, inmy s, as a gemologist at
Christie’s cataloguing jewels for upcoming sales,
I came across a fascinating collection of Russian
jewels and fell in love.” It inspired her to find out
more about the jewels’ history and who had made
them. “That’s when it all started.”
Thanks to a Russian émigré grandfather,
co-author Schimmelpenninck van der Oye —who
is also Betteley’s husband — shares her fascination
with the culture of imperial Russia.
“He’s a specialist on the late imperial period and
has helped me throughout my career, as he’s fluent
in Russian,” she explains. “Dave’s approach was
more historic, whereas mine was market-oriented,
as that’s my background.”
Beyond Fabergé
not only traces the sweeping
history of Russian jewelry over the centuries, but
also explores “the roots of Russia’s taste for opulent
adornment, as well the intimate relations between
imperial jewelers and the court,” says Betteley.
“We introduce readers to such leading lights as
the House of Bolin, Friedrich Köchli, and Carl
Hahn, as well as the Moscow silver masters Pavel
Ovchinnikov, Orest Kurliokov and Iosif Marshak of
Kiev, to name but a few.”
RESPLENDENT
IN RUSSIA
SEPTEMBER
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