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Posted by Alex G
on November 6, 2009, 6:48 pm, in reply to " Russian Brooch with sapphires "
78.227.32.205
Ursula, I think you are definitely putting us back on the right track !!
I immediately thought of GD Xenia, but it seems there is no connection. "Ksi" is also the grapheme for 60 in the ancient Cyrillic numbering system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrillic_numerals
And the winding line over the character finally makes sense - it would be a "titlo", used to "mark letters when they are used as numerals" :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titlo
So this must have indeed made it a very appropriate gift for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee from her Family in the East.
So Russian - yes, Imperial - very much so, but also with a bigger historical significance than I thought...
What is interesting is that the Duchess started wearing it in public in January 2007, just a few months before she turned 60 herself (in July 2007)...
Thank you very much, Ursula, waiting for the references to close the chapter 
--Previous Message--
: Hello all,
: we discussed about the brooch and I heard
: the heart brooch was the gift of Nicolas II
: and Empress Alix, GD and Grand
: duchess of Hesse, GD and Grand duchess
: Serge, Prince and Princess Louis
: Battenberg.
:
: Given in 1897 for Queen Victoria's diamond
: jubilee. It has been exhibited in
: the Imperial Institute at the occasion.
:
: VICTORIA'S JUBILEE GIFTS; An Exhibition in
: London of Gifts from All Quarters of the
: Globe. AMERICA WELL REPRESENTED A Square
: Mile of Illuminated Addresses on Parchment,
: Silk, and Vellum -- A Collection Ranging
: from Precious Stones to Bicycles.
:
: November 2, 1897, Wednesday
:
: LONDON, Oct. 20. -- Yesterday, at the
: Imperial Institute, South Kensington, an
: exhibition of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee
: presents was opened to the public at an
: admission fee of 1 shilling per head, the
: income from the exhibition -- which will
: last several month -- to be devoted to the
: Prince of Wales's Free Hospital Fund. Didn't
: post it because I search for a sketch
:
:
:
: Will ask the source tomorrow :-)
:
:
:
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