the crown jewels tour dates

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The Crown Jewels Tour tour

Currently touring until 31 August 2024

The Crown Jewels is a riotous new comedy based on the most unbelievable royal caper in British history. Charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight.

Fresh from the West End, comedy play The Crown Jewels is hitting the road for a UK tour in 2023 – here’s all you need to know.

From the 2023 The Crown Jewels tour cast to all the upcoming dates and venues, this is your guide to the show on the road.

The Crown Jewels is a riotous new comedy based on the most unbelievable royal caper in British history. Charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight. With a gang of misfits by his side, what could possibly go wrong? But Charles II can’t afford a royal scandal, and no King likes people handling their Crown Jewels…

The Crown Jewels 2023 tour dates and tickets

Sorry, no more tour dates are currently scheduled for this show! Check back soon for new dates in the near future.

Meet The Crown Jewels tour

An all star cast will feature in the production, led by comedian Al Murray as Charles II.

Joining him will be Bake Off’s Mel Giedroyc, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Aidan McArdle, Neil Morrissey, Joe Thomas and Tanvi Virmani.

Completing the company are Adonis Siddique, Dedun Omole, Emma Bown, Ryan Lane and Kieran Brown

The comedy play is written by BAFTA-nominated creator of ITV’s The Durrells and BBC 1’s Men Behaving Badly, Simon Nye, and directed by multi-Olivier Award winner Sean Foley.

Also on the creative team are set and costume designer Michael Taylor, lighting designer Natasha Chivers and sound designer Andy Graham.

The Crown Jewels is currently playing at London’s Garrick Theatre through to 16 September 2023 .

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The Crown Jewels Tour | Tickets and Venues - Direct from West End

Published on

September 22, 2023

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Play Trailer

The Crown Jewels

The Crown Jewels  is a riotous new comedy based on the most unbelievable royal caper in British history. Charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood, along with a trio of misfits, is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight. But reigning monarch Charles II can’t afford a royal scandal, and no King likes people handling their Crown Jewels…

With an exceptionally star-studded cast including Al Murray, Mel Giedroyc, Joe Thomas, Neil Morrissey, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Aidan McArdle and Tanvi Virmani , written by BAFTA award-winning creator of The Durrells and Men Behaving Badly, Simon Nye , and directed by multi- Olivier Award winner Sean Foley (Upstart Crow, The Ladykillers) , it would be criminal to miss this raucous royal affair.

Charles II/Talbot Edwards - Al Murray

Mrs Edwards/French Noblewoman - Mel Giedroyc

Elizabeth Edwards/Lady of the Bedchamber - Carrie Hope Fletcher

Captain Perrot/Tourist - Neil Morrissey

Tom Blood Jnr/ Tourist - Joe Thomas

Jenny Blaine/Jailer - Tanvi Virmani

Colonel Blood - Aiden McArdle

Wythe Edwards/Footman - Adonis Siddique

Footman - Dedun Omole

William Smith/Footman - Ryan Lane

Footman - Keiran Brown

Footman - Emma Bown

Director - Sean Foley

Writer - Simon Nye

Set and Costume Designer - Michael Taylor

Lighting Designer - Natasha Chivers

Sound Designer - Andy Graham

Associate Director - Dewi Johnson

Costume Supervisor - Hilary Lewis

Props Supervisor - Lizzie Frankl for Propworks

Production Manager - Damian Partington

Fight Director - Alison De Burgh

Company Stage Manager - Sally Hughes

Deputy Stage Manager - Olivia Kerslake

Assistant Stage Manager (Book Cover) - Frances Howell

Head of Wardrobe - Samantha Gray

Head of Wigs, Hair and Makeup - Vicky Buxton

Sound Operator - Chris Mulchinock

Dresser - Genieve Vasconcelos

Age Suitability For This Show Unlike film, theatre doesn't have an official age classification organisation. That means all age recommendations are subjective and should be treated as guidelines unless otherwise stated. With this in mind, we ask you to use your judgement in regards to a show's suitability prior to purchase. However, we are more than happy to help you make a decision. Please email our Customer Care team to find out more about your chosen show.

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Unlike film, theatre doesn't have an official age classification organisation. That means all age recommendations are subjective and should be treated as guidelines unless otherwise stated. With this in mind, we ask you to use your judgement in regards to a show’s suitability prior to purchase. However, we are more than happy to help you make a decision. Please email [email protected] to find out more about your chosen show.

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The Crown Jewels 2023

The crown jewels - 2023 - west end history , info & more.

Garrick Theatre

The Crown Jewels is a riotous new comedy based on the most unbelievable royal caper in British history. Charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood, along with a trio of misfits, is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight. But reigning monarch Charles II can’t afford a royal scandal, and no King likes people handling their Crown Jewels… With an exceptionally star-studded cast including Al Murray, Mel Giedroyc, Joe Thomas, Neil Morrissey, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Aidan McArdle and Tanvi Virmani, written by BAFTA award-winning creator of The Durrells and Men Behaving Badly, Simon Nye, and directed by multi-Olivier Award winner Sean Foley (Upstart Crow, The Ladykillers), it would be criminal to miss this raucous royal affair. __Assisted Performances:__ Captioned & BSL Performance - Tuesday 8th August

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The Crown Jewels marks writer Simon Nye’s, who is best known as the writer for Men Behaving Badly, West End debut. This historical heist, based on a true story, centres around King Charles II and the plot to steal the crown jewels and features a cast made up of some of the best British comedians including Al Murray (in his stage debut), Mel Giedroyc and Neil Morrissey.

The Crown Jewels FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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The Crown Jewels

Book The Crown Jewels play tickets to see Al Murray and an all-star cast in this hilarious royal heist

Al Murray is King Charles II and he won’t let anyone touch his jewels in this brand-new West End comedy! With an all-star cast including Mel Giedroyc , Carrie Hope Fletcher and Neil Morrissey , The Crown Jewels is the biggest royal event of the year, running at the Garrick Theatre this summer. 

Unpredictable maverick Colonel Blood has come up with his boldest plan yet: he will steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, in plain sight. A task this momentous calls for a gang of misfits at his side, and everything should go to plan. But Charles II can’t afford to have his jewels snatched, and he’ll do anything to avoid a royal scandal… 

The Crown Jewels play is a riotous new comedy from BAFTA Award winner Simon Nye , whose credits include The Durrells and Men Behaving Badly . Director Sean Foley ( The Upstart Crow ) cements his own place as king of comedy, with his hit production of Spitting Image The Musical also playing in London this year. 

The show’s cast is more star-studded than a coronation at Westminster, with pub landlord comedian Al Murray as Charles II, alongside Carrie Hope Fletcher ( Les Miserables; Cinderella ), comedian Mel Giedroyc , Neil Morrissey ( Men Behaving Badly; Line of Duty ), Joe Thomas ( The Inbetweeners ), Aidan McArdle ( Mr Selfridge ) and Tanvi Virmani ( Life of Pi – Wyndham’s Theatre). 

Take the Tower of London off your list and add this raucous royal gem instead! The Crown Jewels are (sort of) on display in the West End for a strictly limited season, from 7 July – 16 September 2023.

Child friendly?

The Crown Jewels play is recommended for ages 12+.

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The Crown Jewels

Garrick Theatre , London's West End

About This Show

An all-star cast, including Al Murray, Mel Giedroyc, Neil Morrissey, Joe Thomas and Carrie Hope Fletcher lead this heist comedy of epic proportions

The Crown Jewels  is a riotous new comedy based on the most unbelievable royal caper in British history. Charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood, along with a trio of misfits, is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight. But reigning monarch Charles II can’t afford a royal scandal, and no King likes people handling their Crown Jewels…

With an exceptionally star-studded cast, written by BAFTA award-winning creator of The Durrells and Men Behaving Badly, Simon Nye, and directed by multi-Olivier Award winner Sean Foley (Upstart Crow, The Ladykillers), it would be criminal to miss this raucous royal affair.

Al Murray, with his alter-ego The Pub Landlord, is one of the most successful British comedians, with over twenty years of sell-out and award-winning shows in the West End and arenas across the UK, as well as his own hugely popular WWII podcast and extensive TV career. Carrie Hope Fletcher is an actress, author, vlogger and award-winning West End sensation (Cinderella, Les Misérables, Heathers, The Addams Family). Mel Giedroyc is the much-loved TV presenter, writer, actress, well-known for her work alongside Sue Perkins and on shows such as The Great British Bake Off, panel shows and sitcoms as well as on stage, most recently in the Olivier award-winning Company.

Joe Thomas is an actor, comedian and writer best known as Simon in the multi-award winning E4 show The Inbetweeners and Kingsley in Fresh Meat. Neil Morrissey is one of the country’s most popular television actors, well-known for numerous TV programmes such as the BBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly and the critically acclaimed Line Of Duty, alongside many stage productions including as Fagin in Oliver and Nathan in Guys and Dolls. Aidan McArdle is one of Ireland’s best-loved actors, with a long TV career including Jane Eyre, Mr Selfridge and Ridley. Tanvi Virmani is a recent acting graduate, making her professional stage debut as Miranda in Theatre Royal Bath’s The Tempest and her West End debut as Rani in Life of Pi.

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The crown jewels reviews.

• 5 Stars 37%
• 4 Stars 32%
• 3 Stars 21%

User Reviews

It has lots of bad reviews, but I think they were unjust and the reviewers were expecting something more high brow based on the quality of the cast. Sure a lot of the jokes were almost too easy and crass, but there was some real big laughs there too Read more

A funny play telling the true life story of the theft of the Crown Jewels. Al Murray plays the king and at times I found it turning into the Al Murray show with a good 20 mins of stand up from him but otherwise a nice way to learn the history of the Read more

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect not being a history buff and the first 10 mins was difficult to follow. However, my whole family were in stitches once the show got going and the first half left us definitely wanting more - especially as the aud Read more

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The Crown Jewels

DIRECT FROM THE WEST END!

The Crown Jewels  is the “hysterical” (The Spectator) new comedy based on the most unbelievable royal caper in British history. Charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood, along with a trio of misfits, is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight. But reigning monarch Charles II can’t afford a royal scandal, and no King likes people handling their Crown Jewels…

With an exceptionally star-studded cast including the “King of Comedy” (Sunday Times)  Al Murray  and  Mel Giedroyc  “at her comedy peak” (The Independent), this “outrageous” (The Stage) production leaves “the audience howling with laughter” (Daily Express). Also starring  Joe Thomas ,  Neil Morrissey ,  Carrie Hope Fletcher ,  Aidan McArdle, Adonis Siddique  and  Tanvi Virmani , written by BAFTA award-winning creator of  The Durrells  and  Men Behaving Badly ,  Simon Nye , and directed by multi-Olivier Award winner  Sean Foley  ( Upstart Crow, The Ladykillers), it would be criminal to miss this raucous royal affair.

“Genius…had the audience howling with laughter.”

Daily Express

“All rise for King of Comedy Al Murray”

Sunday Times

“King of capers!”

Mail on Sunday

“I HAVEN’T LAUGHED SO MUCH IN YEARS”

Sunday Express

“THE UPPER ECHELONS OF ENTERTAINMENT… AL MURRAY IS THE JEWEL IN ITS CROWN”

“MEL GIEDROYC IS AT HER COMEDY PEAK”

The Independent

“HYSTERICAL”

The Spectator

“FANTASTIC, OUTRAGEOUS…AL MURRAY COMMANDS THE ROOM!”

“GREAT COMIC TIMING.”

Evening Standard

“A SPARKING GEM”

London Theatre

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Queens: exhibition, summer season, how to find us.

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The travels of humble pie, colosseum guitar stalwart ‘clem’ clempson, ‘while my guitar gently weeps’: the story behind the beatles’ song, ‘i want to know’: sugar pie desanto starts her soulful mission, how soundgarden turned up their star quality with ‘louder than love’, ‘tainted love’: soft cell put the synths in northern soul, ‘sneakin’ sally through the alley’: robert palmer’s slinky, soulful solo debut, roy hargrove’s ‘crisol: grand-terre’ to finally be released, peter frampton preps kick off for ‘positively thankful’ fall tour, weezer announce ‘blue album’ 30th anniversary edition, share ‘undone – the sweater song’ demo, abba announce new box set, ‘the singles – the first fifty years’, ap dhillon launches his next era with new ep ‘the brownprint’, 3point5’s ‘in the groove’ twitch show partners with udiscover for new episode, stevie wonder releases new single “can we fix our nation’s broken heart”, queen + adam lambert announce ‘the crown jewels’ las vegas residency.

Queen + Adam Lambert have announced ‘The Crown Jewels’: a limited 10-date run of shows at the Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas for September.

Published on

Queen + Adam Lambert are set to rock the Las Vegas Strip this fall with a 10-date limited engagement, The Crown Jewels, at Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas. Shows will be held September 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 19, 21 and 22, with all shows starting at 8pm. One of their performance dates, Saturday, 8 September, lands on Queen Day in Las Vegas, which former Mayor Oscar Goodman declared in 2004.

Tickets for The Crown Jewels shows range in price from $79 to $350, as well as a limited number of on-Stage seats, not including applicable service charges, will go on sale Friday, May 11 at 10 a.m at the Ticketmaster website .  A limited number of VIP packages will also be available.

Members of both Queen and Adam Lambert’s Fan Clubs will be able to purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, 8 May at 10 am PT. M life Rewards members and Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will receive access to a pre-sale running on Wednesday, May 9 at 10 am PT through Thursday, 10 May at 10 pm. PT. To join the M life Rewards program or for more information, visit the MGM Resorts website .

Queen + Adam Lambert have come a long way since first sharing a stage for the American Idol finale in May 2009. Since then, the critically acclaimed creative partnership has proved to be a global phenomenon, having played over 150 shows in all corners of the world. Filling stadiums and festivals, Queen + Adam Lambert’s awe-inspiring show has drawn across-the board rave notices.

Now, announcing this specially crafted The Crown Jewels show, Queen’s Brian May said: “We’re ready to take on the ultimate challenge … to dazzle Vegas!!”

Band mate Roger Taylor was equally as enthusiastic, saying he is: “Looking forward to rocking the Strip,” singing the praises of “the audaciously and phenomenally talented Adam Lambert.”

Lambert added: “I’m so excited to help share The Crown Jewels with the Strip. You’ll be humming them all night!”

Just as the original Queen scaled unprecedented heights and shattered audience records, so have Queen + Adam Lambert. Their first full live show, played in Europe in 2012, saw the band make a spectacular debut in front of half a million people in Kiev. More recent shows in Brazil, Portugal and Japan have regularly drawn audiences of up to 80,000 for a single concert.

But Queen + Adam Lambert are not a band to rest on their laurels. In the summer of 2017, they toured North America with a brand new state-of-the-art production specifically tailored to celebrate the 40th anniversary of News Of The World , which was originally released in October 1977 and remains Queen’s biggest-selling studio album to date. The tour extended across Europe and the UK through to the end of 2017, followed by Australia and New Zealand in early 2018.

It was North American audiences that first truly embraced Queen + Adam Lambert, paving the way to worldwide arena-filling success. Playing their first ever full tour with 24 shows across the U.S. and Canada in the summer of 2014, this generation-spanning super group not only sold out every date, but were later crowned Band of the Year at the 10th annual Classic Rock, Roll of Honor awards and Best Live Band of the Year in Ultimate Classic Rock’s reader’s poll. From that point on, there was no stopping the revitalized Queen machine and their incandescent new front man.

Queen + Adam Lambert’s magnificent 2018 live show has been custom tailored for the band by some of the world’s most cutting-edge creative talents. Responsible for design and production is Ric Lipson from Entertainment Architects Stufish Productions, renowned worldwide for their innovative work with artists such as Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and U2, as well the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Making use of over 300 moving lights during the show is the highly acclaimed lighting designer Rob Sinclair, who has illuminated tours for major artists including Adele, Peter Gabriel and Kylie Minogue. The production’s genuinely eye-popping laser elements are the work of ER Productions, behind both the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics and seen by over 900 million people worldwide.

“The stage production, theatrics, band performance and audience reaction is probably the best that I have ever had the pleasure to witness. The unparalleled champions of arena rock,” wrote the critic of the UK newspaper Daily Express .

Explore Our Queen Artist Page . 

Leslie Miler

September 8, 2018 at 10:30 pm

Any chance Queen will do more dates for 2018?

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The crown jewels.

Performed at the garrick Theatre between 07 Jul, 2023 and 16 Sep, 2023

Performed at garrick Theatre between 07 Jul, 2023 and 16 Sep, 2023

The Crown Jewels  is the “hysterical” (The Spectator) new comedy based on the most unbelievable royal caper in British history. Charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood, along with a trio of misfits, is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight. But reigning monarch Charles II can’t afford a royal scandal, and no King likes people handling their Crown Jewels…

With an exceptionally star-studded cast including the “King of Comedy” (Sunday Times)  Al Murray  and  Mel Giedroyc  “at her comedy peak” (The Independent), this “outrageous” (The Stage) production leaves “the audience howling with laughter” (Daily Express). Also starring  Joe Thomas ,  Neil Morrissey ,  Carrie Hope Fletcher ,  Aidan McArdle, Adonis Siddique  and  Tanvi Virmani , written by BAFTA award-winning creator of  The Durrells  and  Men Behaving Badly ,  Simon Nye , and directed by multi-Olivier Award winner  Sean Foley  ( Upstart Crow, The Ladykillers),  it would be criminal to miss this raucous royal affair.

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The Crown Jewels Trailer

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The Crown Jewels Play - Audience Reactions

'I haven’t laughed so much in years!'

Sunday Express

'Al Murray is the comic jewel in its crown'

'Mel Giedroyc is at her comedy peak'

The Independent

'Hysterical'

'A sparkling gem'

London Theatre

'Genius – had the audience howling with laughter.'

Daily Express

'King of capers!'

Mail on Sunday

'All rise for King of Comedy Al Murray'

Sunday Times

'Fantastic, outrageous – Al Murray commands the room!'

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20 masterpieces from Moscow Kremlin’s Diamond Fund (PHOTOS)

The inventorizing and safekeeping of treasures in Russia dates back to the time of Peter the Great. Coronation regalia, jeweled ornaments belonging to members of the royal family and all kinds of jewelry made with rare gemstones, diamonds, gold and silver, as well as unique nuggets, were placed in a special fund for precious metals and stones. 

In 1920, the Bolsheviks set up the State Depository of Valuables (Gokhran of Russia). It held not only the crown jewels, but also nationalized masterpieces of jewelry confiscated from the nobility and landed gentry. Gokhran still exists and regularly replenishes its collection of fine jewelry and examples of the stone-cutter’s art with contemporary items. Today, the collection’s most important masterpieces are on display at the Diamond Fund in the Kremlin. These are its most impressive exhibits.

1. Great Imperial Crown

Court jeweler Georg Friedrich Eckart and diamond craftsman Jérémie Pauzié created this masterpiece for the coronation of Catherine the Great in 1762 in just two months. The main Russian Imperial emblem of royalty is adorned with 75 pearls and 4,936 diamonds and topped with a rare red spinel weighing almost 400 carats.

2. Small Imperial Crown

During a coronation, an emperor would usually place this crown on the head of his consort. There were several such crowns and some were sold off by the Bolsheviks to the West. This one, according to researchers, was made in 1801 for the consort of Emperor Alexander I, Elizabeth Alexeievna. It includes 48 large and 200 smaller diamonds.

One of the main symbols of regal power, the scepter, is a gold rod almost 60 cm long. This one, commissioned by Catherine II, was made in 1762 by Leopold Pfisterer. It is particularly valued for its legendary Orlov diamond weighing 189.6 carats. The stone was purchased for the empress by her favorite, Count Grigory Orlov , in 1774.

Another very important item of regalia is the orb, a symbol of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jeweler Eckart made it for the coronation of Catherine the Great. The orb is topped with a Ceylon sapphire weighing almost 200 carats.

5. Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First-Called

The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, established by Peter the Great, was the highest state decoration in the Russian Empire until the 1917 Revolution. The medal is in the form of a blue diagonal cross, or saltire, with the figure of Saint Andrew crucified. The cross is set on the coat of arms of the Russian state - a two-headed eagle under an imperial crown - composed of diamonds.

A diamond chain, badge and star of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First-Called were made for the coronation of Catherine II.

Subsequently, they were worn by Russian emperors on the day of their accession to the throne.

6. Large Diamond Bouquet

In Russia, the 18th century is considered the century of diamonds. Several empresses were on the throne and their jewels were real works of art. The Large Bouquet adorned the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna’s ceremonial dress. Arrangements of colored diamonds take the form of briar rose, iris, daffodil and forget-me-not flowers. The leaves are composed of emeralds.

7. Diamond posy holder

This posy holder from 1770 was the female equivalent of the buttonhole on a man’s lapel. It is a small flower holder that was pinned to a woman’s dress. Water could even be poured inside the miniature “vase”. A ribbon of diamonds tied with a bow entwines a bunch of gold stalks covered with green enamel.

8. Brooch with a Colombian emerald

This unique stone of historical importance is a rich green Colombian emerald with a delicate light bluish play of color, weighing 136.25 carats. The stone, set in a diamond mount of vine leaves, adorns a brooch dating from the second quarter of the 19th century. It belonged to Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, the consort of the son of Tsar Nicholas I.

9. Maria Feodorovna’s diadem

‘Russian tiara’ is what such kokoshnik-style diadems were called in the West. The fashion for them endured at the Russian Imperial Court from the beginning of the 19th century to the early 20th century. This tiara belonged to Maria Feodorovna, the consort of Emperor Paul I. Its centerpiece is a rare 13.35-carat pink diamond.

Read more: What happened to the priceless Romanov tiaras after 1917 Revolution?

10. Bracelet with portrait diamond

This gold bracelet in Gothic style with emeralds and enamel was made in France in 1820 and is regarded as a real masterpiece of the jeweler’s art. The miniature depicting Emperor Alexander I is painted on ivory. It is overlaid with a 27-carat diamond - the biggest portrait diamond in the world.

11. Order of Victory

The USSR’s top military decoration was instituted in 1943 and only 17 people were ever awarded it, including foreign commanders of allied forces . The medal is made of platinum and gold. Its ruby star is edged with diamonds and on a blue enamel background there is a depiction of the Kremlin wall with the Lenin Mausoleum and Spasskaya Tower. It is inscribed in white enamel with the words “USSR” and “Victory”.

12. Marshal of the Soviet Union’s Star

This award was presented to marshals of the Soviet Union and also admirals of the fleet. The five-pointed star is made of platinum and gold and is encrusted with five round diamonds. In the center is a design made of diamonds in the form of the five-pointed Soviet star. A depiction of the Marshal’s Star even ended up on a USSR postage stamp.

13. Urals emeralds

A large quantity of the most varied precious and semi-precious stones are mined in Russia. Spinel, topaz, lazurite and jasper crystals are among those displayed at the Diamond Fund. The Urals emerald deposits are also particularly celebrated. Two raw emeralds weighing around a kilogram were found in 1969 and 1978. 

14. The ‘26th CPSU Congress’ diamond

The Diamond Fund has a collection of diamonds which are known under individual names. One of the biggest (it is also the biggest jewelry-grade diamond in Russia) is this lemon-yellow diamond weighing 342.57 carats. It was found at the Mir kimberlite pipe in 1980 and was named ‘26th Congress of the CPSU’ to mark a memorable occasion - the congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union held in 1981.

15. Gold nugget known as ‘The Camel’

A highly productive gold deposit was discovered in the Urals in 1745 and, in the course of the succeeding 19th century, Russia was to become one of the world leaders in gold extraction. More often than not, valuable finds are melted down, but the most interesting examples are kept for study. Over 100 of the most unusually shaped nuggets are kept in the Diamond Fund (for instance, ‘Mephistopheles’, ‘Hare’s Ears’). This nugget, dubbed ‘The Camel’ and weighing 9 kg 300 g, was found at the Kolyma gold fields in 1947.

16. Platinum nugget known as ‘Jaws’

Platinum nuggets are encountered fairly rarely in nature and the Diamond Fund collection has some extremely rare examples. One of the biggest is the ‘Urals Giant’ weighing in at 7.8 kg. In appearance, it looks like an ordinary stone. And this unusually shaped nugget which is reminiscent of a pair of jaws weighs 4.7 kg. It was discovered in the Urals in the first half of the 19th century.

17. Pendant with raspberry-pink tourmaline

This tourmaline shaped like a berry or a bunch of grapes was presented to Catherine II by King Gustav III of Sweden in 1777. The stone is likely to have originally come from Burma, after which it made an extensive tour of the jewel houses of European monarchs before being taken by the Swedes from Prague in 1648. The gem’s weight is 260.86 carats and it measures 4 x 2.7 x 2.3 cm. The green enamel leaves on a gold backing accentuate its unusual color. 

18. Diamond Rose Brooch

An experimental jewelry laboratory was set up at Gokhran in 1965. A team of five craftsmen worked on the restoration of rare Diamond Fund exhibits, from crowns to Soviet-era decorations and awards . In 1970, jewelers Viktor Nikolayev and Gennady Aleksakhin made the hugely intricate ‘Rose’ brooch from 1,500 Yakutian diamonds. They took their inspiration from a photograph of a similar item that had belonged to last Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

19. ‘Russian Beauty’ diadem

This diadem of platinum, gold, diamonds and 25 large pearls is also based on a historical prototype. A similar tiara in the form of a kokoshnik headdress was ordered by Emperor Nicholas I for his wife Alexandra Feodorovna in 1841. After the Revolution, it was sold abroad and, at the present time, it is most likely in the Philippines. In 1987, Diamond Fund jewelers produced this accurate version of the lost diadem originally made by Carl Bolin. 

20. A map of Russia encrusted with diamonds

A sprinkling of diamonds was used to make a whole map of Russia. Moscow is marked with a red corundum-ruby, the Urals are denoted with green crystals and the town of Mirny, the capital of the Russian diamond industry, is a black diamond. A separate crystal also marks the Arkhangelsk diamond fields.

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• The Kremlin Armoury, Moscow
• Guide to Russia

The History of the Kremlin Armoury

• The conquests of the ambitious Muscovy Princes in the XIV century brought heaps of treasures to Rus’ along with the territories. Desperately in need of storage for their pillaged goods, the Princes created Russia’s first treasury.
• During the 1600’s the treasury became an armory with the relocation of Moscow’s weaponry workshops to the treasury’s basement. Other craftsmen's’ workshops were also set up in the armory, including those of Simon Ushakov—the legendary icon painter.
• After a fire consumed part of this priceless collection, Alexander I ordered the armory to be moved to a purpose-built museum near the Kremlin’s Trinity Gate. Though it was only open to the bourgeois, it could be considered Moscow’s first public museum.
• Only thirty years after opening as a museum, the armory was moved yet again to its final location—a palace-like building within the Kremlin compound built by Moscow’s foremost architect at the time, Konstantin Ton.

Photo from  https://classpic.ru/

What can you see at The Kremlin Armoury today?

All the reasons why Russia roared into revolution in 1918 become patently clear under the glaring glow of gold in the halls of the Kremlin Armoury. The bejeweled carriages, audaciously large diamonds and even the painstakingly-painted tea sets seem to exude an aura of shameless wealth and privilege. Even the most ardent of capitalists could sympathize with the indignation that spurred the Bolshevik protests upon seeing this flagrant display; especially when one considers that this four-thousand-strong amalgamation of exquisite treasures represents but a fraction of the Romanovs’ riches!

As Russia’s most historic armory, the collection of weaponry here is perhaps the most comprehensive and impressive in the country. The displays start at the 4th century and sweep through the stretch of history, culminating in the late 1800s. Among the uniforms, bayonets and chainmail, gems like the pointed helmet of Ivan the Terrible’s young son offer a glimpse into the lives of the gallant soldiers who fought against the likes of Napoleon for Mother Russia.

The Romanovs’ Belongings

Though it may be called an armory, the crowning exhibit of this museum has very little to do with the army. Before Peter the Great moved the capital to St Petersburg, the Romanovs reigned from the Kremlin and used the armory as their treasure-chest. Pry open this house of wonders and you’ll find Ivan the Terrible’s ancient Monomakh crown, the double throne of the sibling kings Peter and Ivan, the famously drab “black Dutch costumes” of Peter the Great and a whole fleet of gilded carriages. Two hundred years on, the meticulously preserved wedding dress of Catherine the Great—standing in all is splendid twenty-four-kilos in the Armoury—seems to arouse as much interest as it did when she sauntered down the aisle of a cathedral to become Russia’s most sensational Tsarina.

Diamond Fund

So many of Russia’s most impressive sights can be traced back to one man: Peter the Great. And the diamond fund, which he set up in 1719, is perhaps the most glittering of his contributions. In this stellar collection, four thousand nine hundred and thirty-six diamonds can be found on just one crown— namely the coronation crown of Catherine the Great. As if things couldn’t get grander, this crown is accompanied by a scepter headed by a whopping 190-carat gem nicknamed the Orlov diamond (Prince Grigory Orlov was Catherine’s lover).

Religious Artefacts

The Romanov family were religious or at least professed to be. To bolster the credibility of their devoutness amid scandalous affairs, they acquired a vast collection of religious iconography. The rouse may not have convinced everyone, but the resulting collection— including the bible of King Charles XII of Sweden and one meter high gospels encrusted with gold and jewels— is certainly impressive.

Faberge Eggs

Perhaps the ultimate symbol of Tsarist decadence is the Easter eggs the tsars gave their wives and mothers almost yearly from 1885 to 1917. Not content with chocolate, these eggs were crafted by Russia’s most eminent jeweller, Carl Fabergé. Forty-six out of the fifty-two Imperial Easter eggs have survived to this day. And there is no better place to appreciate their dazzling and ingenious designs than the Armoury which boasts the world’s largest collection of Faberge Easter eggs.

Discover the fascinating collections of the Kremlin Armoury with a born-and-bred muscovite guide on our expertly crafted Moscow tours .

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