Galina Zimina

Bolshoi Tyelginsky gold nugget, 14,107 grams South Ural, Tyelginsky alluvial deposit, 1936 Rudny deposit, gripping extraction of gold.

    The State depository of valuables (Gokhran of Russia) contains precious stones, mineralogical samples, memorabilia of numismatics, medal- and badge-stamping art, gold and silver articles by Russian and foreign craftsmen. All these treasures are part of the State collection of precious metals and precious stones of the Russian Federation. The fund is being replenished mainly by arrivals from specialized purchasing organizations, Central Committee of Customs, law enforcement bodies, mining companies.
Until recently the Fund’s collections were practically unknown to the general public. Today they can be seen in exhibitions in Russia and abroad. They were displayed in Israel, Japan, China and Germany with much success.
Gokhran’s mineralogical section consists of rare gold and platinum nuggets, unique samples of diamonds, brilliants, colored jewel and hand-made stones. The Bolshoi Tyelginsky gold nugget is the most prominent one among others. This largest nugget with a spongy structure weighing 14 kilograms was found in a Ural mine in 1936. There are natural cubes of native platinum with each facet being 1-cm long. When they were discovered, it was a real sensation.

Brooch Moscow, 1908-1917 Second Moscow artel Gold, silver, brilliants, rose-cut diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, enamel.

Of historical interest is a gold nugget from The Edinburgh, the British cruiser sunk during WWII.
Gokhran has always been famous for its collection of diamonds. And this collection has been actively replenished since kimberlite pipes were discovered in Russia in the mid-1950s. It contains such large diamonds as North Star (194.96 carats) and Start (155 carats). Brilliants contained in this section are represented by colorless and nature-colored diamonds, which have different cutting shapes. Ural emeralds and alexandrites as well as Siberian amethysts and demantoids are especially magnificent in the collection of colored stones.
The numismatics stock stands out particularly for gold and silver coins of the Russian empire, which, besides their collection value, are distinguished by artistic merits. For example, this collection includes a ruble coin of the infant-emperor Ioann Antonovich, who was nominated ruler for one year only in 1741. The rarities also include a gift coin of 37 rubles 50 kopecks – 100 francs stamped at the Paris mint in 1902.

Kortchik St. Petersburg, 1899 – 1908 Faberger workshop, F. Rukert’s studio Silver; filigrec enamels, gilding.

Platinum coins worth three, six and twelve rubles, which were regularly minted from 1828 to 1845, are classified as monuments to the history of the world’s money circulation. The collection possesses antique and Byzantine coins. There are also West European and Oriental sections there.
The collection of medal- and badge-stamping art contains orders, decorations and memorial medals, badges and tokens mainly dating back to the second half of the 19th century. Many of them are related to the House of Romanovs. There is a beautifully stamped medal in commemoration of the wedding between emperor Nicholas II and Princess Alice of Giessens in 1894. The collection of tokens indicating social and professional affiliation of their owners is very diverse. The high level of stamping makes one recall that many of them were manufactured at workshops of Russia’s best jewelry firms.

Biscuit dish Moscow, 1877 P.Ovchinnikov workshop Silver, die, stamping, engraving, enamel, gilding.

A considerable space in Gokhran’s collection is set for works of arts and crafts dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Along with objects by famous craftsmen including J-P. Adour, I.Bukh, P. Teremen, Sazikovs, Bolins, Peter Carl Faberger, P. Ovchinnikov, I. Khlebnikov there are original and interesting works of authors and firms unknown so far to present-day connoisseurs. The collection displays artistic silver items decorated with chiseling, carving, nielloed patterns and engravings, cast and enameled silver articles, stone-cut works, jewelry.

Snuffbox St. Petersburg, 1824-1825. craftsman D. Relander Miniature portrait of emperor Alexander III. St. Petersburg, 1880s. painter A. Wagner Gold, silver, brilliants, rose-cut diamonds, bone; stamping, engraving, enamel.

One of the best jewelry works dating from the end of the 19th century is Gokhran’s plate made of a monolithic piece of jade and decorated with enamel and precious stones. It was crafted by M. Perkhin, the master craftsman at Faberge workshop. The plate was presented to emperor Nicholas II and Alice of Giessens on the occasion of their marriage. Gokhran possesses the large collection of articles manufactured by Faberger, this world-famous firm. There are boxes, kortchiks, cigarette cases, a set of table silver for 18 persons, small cast sculpture, jewelry and various refined knick-knacks like an umbrella handle made of aquamarine or a nacreous cigarette-holder with precious stones.

Plate St. Petersburg, 1894 Faberger workshop, craftsman I. Perkhin Nephrite, gold, silver, brilliants, rose-cut diamonds, rubies; casting, stamping, enamel, engraving, carving.

The enameling art is presented by a numerous picturesque group of objects. All different styles of the enameling technique can be easily traced there.
Russian-style items of Gokhran’s collections inevitably draw a heightened attention. Biscuit dishes shaped like flat willow baskets with woven napkins on top, clay pots and jugs, birch bark boxes and many other articles typical of the peasant way of life are skillfully reproduced by craftsmen in silver.
Of no less interest are decorative objects manufactured by outstanding jewelers of Moscow and St. Petersburg dating from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. All kinds of brooches – classical, geometrically structured, vegetable-shaped, beetle- and butterfly-like – are crafted from gold, brilliants, colored jewel and hand-made stones. They are supplemented with perfect brilliant pendants having Ural demantoids, the favorite precious stone in the years of Modernism.