Precious Time: Queen Victoria's Rock Crystal, Diamond and Ruby Clock, 1900

Clock
Michael Perchin
c. 1900
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Created by Fabergé workmaster Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903) around 1900, this desk clock of carved rock crystal is mounted with gold, silver-gilt, enamel, rose diamonds and rubies.  It was presented to Queen Victoria by Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, her granddaughter,  in 1900.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Her Majesty had a fondness for her Tsarina granddaughter.  According to the Royal Collection, "On receipt of the news of the death of Tsar Alexander III, on 1 November 1894, the Queen wrote of the new Tsar and Tsarina in her journal:

‘What a terrible load of responsibility & anxiety has been laid upon the poor Children! I had hoped and trusted they would have many years of comparative quiet & happiness before ascending this thorny throne.'"

The Queen was thrilled with this gift from the young Tsarina and appreciated its unusual, noting its difference from the majority of Fabergé’s clocks in her collection.  The others are in the form of gold strut clocks, enameled in a wide variety of colors and set with gemstones in gold. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

This clock, however, is crafted predominantly of rock crystal which has been engraved with trophies incorporating torches and a quiver as well as musical attributes. The rock crystal lobed panels are divided by four mounted gold arrows set with rubies and diamonds. 

White enamel forms the dial which is  surrounded by a bezel of green enamelled laurel with diamond-set ribbon ties. 

Upon the death of Queen Victoria, the clock was given to the future King George V who kept it on his desk until his own death.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Precious Time: Queen Victoria's Rock Crystal, Diamond and Ruby Clock, 1900

Clock
Michael Perchin
c. 1900
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Created by Fabergé workmaster Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903) around 1900, this desk clock of carved rock crystal is mounted with gold, silver-gilt, enamel, rose diamonds and rubies.  It was presented to Queen Victoria by Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, her granddaughter,  in 1900.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Her Majesty had a fondness for her Tsarina granddaughter.  According to the Royal Collection, "On receipt of the news of the death of Tsar Alexander III, on 1 November 1894, the Queen wrote of the new Tsar and Tsarina in her journal:

‘What a terrible load of responsibility & anxiety has been laid upon the poor Children! I had hoped and trusted they would have many years of comparative quiet & happiness before ascending this thorny throne.'"

The Queen was thrilled with this gift from the young Tsarina and appreciated its unusual, noting its difference from the majority of Fabergé’s clocks in her collection.  The others are in the form of gold strut clocks, enameled in a wide variety of colors and set with gemstones in gold. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

This clock, however, is crafted predominantly of rock crystal which has been engraved with trophies incorporating torches and a quiver as well as musical attributes. The rock crystal lobed panels are divided by four mounted gold arrows set with rubies and diamonds. 

White enamel forms the dial which is  surrounded by a bezel of green enamelled laurel with diamond-set ribbon ties. 

Upon the death of Queen Victoria, the clock was given to the future King George V who kept it on his desk until his own death.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Mastery of Design: Queen Victoria's Fabergé Notebook, 1897

Notebook by Viktor Aarne
Presented to Queen Victoria
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
This and all related images
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

I’ve a special spot in my heart for the work of Fabergé’s Victor Aarne. Johann Victor (Viktor) Aarne was one of Fabergé’s most prolific workmasters and was a favorite of Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary. His work is typified by the beautiful guilloché enamel, often in candy colors, chasing and ingenious mounting of gemstones.

This notebook was created by Aarne around 1895-1896. We can see his masterful guilloché enamel over silver gilt. It’s set with moonstones.

The piece was purchased by Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna in December 1896. The duo presented the treasure to Queen Victoria on Christmas of that year. So thrilled with the gift was Queen Victoria that she set the notebook aside so that she could use it to record her thoughts and memories during her Diamond Jubilee Celebration of 1897. The notebook is filled with her notations from the various Jubilee events, including detailed guest lists. Her Majesty asked each notable guest to sign a page in the book, in essence, turning it into one of the most important autograph books in the world—filled with the signatures of Europe’s Crowned Heads.

Also noted in the book is a record of a visit that the Tsar and Tsarina made to Balmoral during the Diamond Jubilee. 

She wrote: 

It seems quite like a dream having dear Alicky & Nicky here. Alix showed me her beautiful jewels, of which she has quantities, all her own private property.

The Royal Collection

The Royal Collection

The Royal Collection

Mastery of Design: Queen Victoria's Rock Crystal, Diamond and Ruby Clock, 1900

Clock
Michael Perchin
c. 1900
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Created by Fabergé workmaster Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903) around 1900, this desk clock of carved rock crystal is mounted with gold, silver-gilt, enamel, rose diamonds and rubies.  It was presented to Queen Victoria by Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, her granddaughter,  in 1900.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Her Majesty had a fondness for her Tsarina granddaughter.  According to the Royal Collection, "On receipt of the news of the death of Tsar Alexander III, on 1 November 1894, the Queen wrote of the new Tsar and Tsarina in her journal:

‘What a terrible load of responsibility & anxiety has been laid upon the poor Children! I had hoped and trusted they would have many years of comparative quiet & happiness before ascending this thorny throne.'"

The Queen was thrilled with this gift from the young Tsarina and appreciated its unusual, noting its difference from the majority of Fabergé’s clocks in her collection.  The others are in the form of gold strut clocks, enameled in a wide variety of colors and set with gemstones in gold. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

This clock, however, is crafted predominantly of rock crystal which has been engraved with trophies incorporating torches and a quiver as well as musical attributes. The rock crystal lobed panels are divided by four mounted gold arrows set with rubies and diamonds. 

White enamel forms the dial which is  surrounded by a bezel of green enamelled laurel with diamond-set ribbon ties. 

Upon the death of Queen Victoria, the clock was given to the future King George V who kept it on his desk until his own death.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Unusual Artifacts: Queen Victoria's Fabergé Notebook, 1897

Notebook by Viktor Aarne
Presented to Queen Victoria
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
This and all related images
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

I’ve a special spot in my heart for the work of Fabergé’s Victor Aarne. Johann Victor (Viktor) Aarne was one of Fabergé’s most prolific workmasters and was a favorite of Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary. His work is typified by the beautiful guilloché enamel, often in candy colors, chasing and ingenious mounting of gemstones.

This notebook was created by Aarne around 1895-1896. We can see his masterful guilloché enamel over silver gilt. It’s set with moonstones.

The piece was purchased by Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna in December 1896. The duo presented the treasure to Queen Victoria on Christmas of that year. So thrilled with the gift was Queen Victoria that she set the notebook aside so that she could use it to record her thoughts and memories during her Diamond Jubilee Celebration of 1897. The notebook is filled with her notations from the various Jubilee events, including detailed guest lists. Her Majesty asked each notable guest to sign a page in the book, in essence, turning it into one of the most important autograph books in the world—filled with the signatures of Europe’s Crowned Heads.

Also noted in the book is a record of a visit that the Tsar and Tsarina made to Balmoral during the Diamond Jubilee. 

She wrote: 

It seems quite like a dream having dear Alicky & Nicky here. Alix showed me her beautiful jewels, of which she has quantities, all her own private property.

The Royal Collection

The Royal Collection

The Royal Collection