Russia's Greatest Jeweller (And Why You Don't Know About It)

About this episode

Faberge is the famous name, but Bolin is the Russian jewellery house that serious antique jewellery people still know. In this episode of Gem Pursuit, Matthew Weldon and Fenia Sigkoudi trace the story of Bolin from its beginnings with Andreas Roempler in St Petersburg to its rise as one of the great jewellers of Imperial Russia. They explore how the Bolin name entered the business through marriage, why imperial titles mattered, and how the house became known for tiaras, parures and gemstones that seemed to float in their settings. The episode also looks at Bolin's relationship with Faberge, the role of kokoshnik tiaras at the Russian court, the Moscow and Stockholm branches, the destruction and confiscation that followed the Russian Revolution, and surviving pieces including the Vladimir Tiara and the ruby and diamond parure. Chapters: 00:00 Opening hook 00:24 Introducing House Bolin 01:11 Matthew's Bolin brooch story 02:22 Andreas Roempler and the beginning in St Petersburg 03:15 How the Bolin name entered the business 04:27 Court jeweller and imperial appraiser 06:48 Roempler's daughters and the first succession 08:47 Carl Edvard Bolin joins the story 10:14 Kokoshnik tiaras and the Russian court 13:05 Bolin, Faberge and the Imperial Court 16:12 Multiple branches and the survival of the house 17:08 Moscow, Shanks and the move into silver 19:12 Art Nouveau, Moscow and Wilhelm Bolin 20:24 First World War and the Stockholm branch 22:37 Revolution, confiscation and lost jewellery 24:52 Why client records mattered 26:08 Bolin's style and floating gemstones 28:28 The Great Exhibition of 1851 29:42 The Pan-Russian Exhibition of 1870 31:18 Bolin and Faberge as competitors 33:08 French houses and the Russian market 34:00 Bolin and Faberge collaboration 34:30 The emerald and diamond parure 35:36 Platinum and Swedish jewellery 36:50 Swedish taste, silver and adaptation 38:36 Surviving iconic pieces 38:53 The Vladimir Tiara 41:46 The ruby and diamond tiara 45:10 Bolin's legacy 47:00 Why Faberge is remembered more 50:37 What to take from the episode 51:03 Outro