Thank you very much! It solved my questions on the stones used for the tiara as being from the Empress's collection.
And what a superb piece of jewelry indeed! Beautiful!
--Previous Message-- : Sold 13 june 2007 London : : Lot description : : A MAGNIFICENT ANTIQUE DIAMOND TIARA, BY : FABERGE : : Designed as a series of graduated old-cut : diamond arches with knife edge collet : spacers, the central pear-shaped diamond : flanked by three briolette and one old-cut : diamond, each with diamond collet and leaf : surmount to the foliate band, on gold wire : frame, mounted in silver and gold, circa : 1890, 13.2 cm. wide, with Russian assay : marks for gold Maker's mark for August : Holmström on frame : : Provenance : Queen Maria José inherited the tiara from : her brother Prince Charles Theodore (1903 : -1983) : In his will, this exceptional jewel is : referred to as 'The Empress Josephine Tiara' : on account of the fact that the : briolette-cut diamonds in the tiara were a : gift from Tsar Alexander I of Russia to the : Empress Josephine. The Tsar used to bring : presents for Josephine when he visited her : at La Malmaison, following her divorce from : Napoleon : It was purchased after the First World War : in Switzerland by the King of Belgium from : the collection of the Dukes of Leuchtenberg, : a title first granted to Eugene de : Beauharnais, son of the Empress Josephine, : and adopted son of Napoleon, on the occasion : of his marriage to Princess Augusta Amalia, : daughter of King Maximilian of Bavaria. : Their youngest child, Prince Maximilian : Joseph married in 1839 Grand Duchess Maria : Nikolaevna of Russia, eldest daughter of : Tsar Nicholas I. : : Lot Notes : Cf. Geoffrey C. Munn, Tiaras a History of : Splendour, The Antique Collectors' Club, : 2001, Frontispiece : '...A remarkable group of Fabergé tiaras. : Jewellery by the famous Russian goldsmith is : rare and his tiaras are rarer still. A : photograph of three together is : unprecedented...' (Wartski, London) : : August Holmström (1829-1903) was responsible : for some of Fabergé's greatest jewels. He : completed his apprenticeship in 1850 and : joined Gustav Fabergé's workshop as chief : jeweller in 1857 and was made workmaster in : 1870. August and his son Albert, who : succeeded him after his death in 1903, were : known for their fine work with diamonds. : They crafted jewels of the finest quality : and produced most of Fabergé's jewellery. : : : Lot Condition Report : Overall condition good : - Approx. weight diamond drops from left to : right; 0.40 - 3.50 (I/J, I) - 4.50 (I/J, I : (cavity to reverse)) - 5.20 (I/J, SI) - 7.0 : (K/L, SI) - 5.4 (I/J, SI) - 5.0 (J/K, I) - : 4.2 (I/J, SI) - 0.40 carats : - Approx. weight diamond knife edge spacers : from left to right; 0.20 - 0.30 - 1.0 - 2.70 : (J/K, VS) - 4.0 (K/L, VS) - 3.20 (I/J, I) - : 2.70 (K/L, SI) - 0.75 - 0.30 - 0.20 carats : - Approx. weight diamond collets in band : from left to right; 0.05 - 0.20 - 0.25 - : 0.50 - 1.80 (J/K, SI) - 2.50 (K/L, SI) - : 1.80 (J/K, VS) - 0.50 - 0.25 - 0.20 - 0.05 : carats : - Approx. weight other diamonds 23.0-25.0 : carats : - Total approx diamond weight tiara 80-85.0 : carats : - Some small rose-cut diamonds deficient : - Some knife-edge spacers with bends : - A minute fracture to the tiara band : - Some tiny solder marks to reverse : connecting parts : - Mounted in silver and gold : : : http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/a-magnificent-antique-diamond-tiara-by/4928143/lot/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&pos=40&intObjectID=4928143&sid=ddbf29bc-d598-48dc-a9cf-e368f258f2a0 :