Forget Faberge for a moment. In this episode of Gem Pursuit, Matthew Weldon and Fenia Sigkoudi tell the story of Bolin, the Russian jewellery house that supplied the Imperial Court, became famous for tiaras and high jewellery, and survived the revolution through a branch that found new life in Stockholm.

The story begins not with the Bolin name, but with Andreas Roempler, a German jeweller in St Petersburg who became known as the "master of diamonds". Through marriage, succession and family ties, Carl Edvard Bolin entered the business, earned imperial recognition, and helped shape a house admired for grand parures, kokoshnik tiaras and gemstones that seemed to float in their settings.

Matthew and Fenia look at Bolin's place beside Faberge, the difference between Faberge objects and Bolin jewellery, the importance of the Moscow and Stockholm branches, the loss of so many pieces during the Russian Revolution, and surviving examples such as the Vladimir Tiara and the ruby and diamond parure. It is a story about craftsmanship, continuity, political upheaval and why one of the great jewellery names is still less famous than it deserves to be.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- Bolin's story begins before the Bolin name, with German jeweller Andreas Roempler establishing himself in St Petersburg and becoming known in the episode as the "master of diamonds".

- Marriage and succession shaped the house. Roempler's daughters, Gottlieb Ernst Jahn and Carl Edvard Bolin all form part of the early story of how the business changed names and passed through the family.

- Imperial titles mattered. Being jeweller to the Imperial Court and an imperial appraiser did not just bring prestige, it signalled that the Tsar trusted the house with extraordinary jewels and valuations.

- Bolin's reputation was built around high jewellery: tiaras, parures, exceptional stones and settings that made gemstones appear almost as if they were floating.

- The kokoshnik became an important symbol in the episode, moving from traditional Russian headwear into court dress and creating demand for the tiaras Bolin became known for.

- The Moscow and Stockholm branches proved crucial. Because part of the family line had expanded beyond St Petersburg, the Bolin name had a path to survive outside Russia.

- The Russian Revolution explains why Bolin is less visible today. The episode describes not only confiscated stock, but client records being used to track down jewels already sold.

- Surviving pieces such as the Vladimir Tiara and parts of the ruby and diamond parure show both sides of Bolin's legacy: some jewels survived in royal collections, while others were broken up for their stones.

- The episode argues that Faberge's greater fame is not proof of greater craftsmanship. Bolin was one of the great jewellery houses of Imperial Russia, but Faberge had the eggs, the mystery and the tragic public story.

Resources

- W.A. Bolin official history: https://bolin.se/om-oss/historia/

- Sotheby's Bolin biography: https://www.sothebys.com/en/artists/bolin

- The Hermitage

- The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore

- Museum of Moscow

- National Museum in Stockholm

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This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck