(Hardback, Revised Edition)

For many centuries the collecting of precious jewels was the preserve of kings and queens, emperors and maharajahs. But in the aftermath of the First World War, royal gems passed into the hands of a different kind of elite. This book profiles eleven of these rich women, all of whom built up astonishing jewelry collections in the 20th century.

(Hardback, Revised and expanded edition)

The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of elegance and extravagance for Russians ruling tsars and the wealthy families with whom they were linked by marriage, and nowhere are these tastes more apparent than in the imperial jewels. This book uncovers the stories behind the jewels and the people who wore them.