For Catherine the Great, jewelry was about much more than adornment. The formidable Russian empress — who reigned from 1762 to 1796 after overthrowing her own husband, Peter III — understood ...

The necklace featured a 107.67-carat pear-shaped emerald, which belonged to the Russian Imperial collection for over a century. Catherine the Great, who had the longest reign of any female Russian ...

and the colorful gems on the transformable “Ble Maria” necklace—diamonds, sapphires, spinels, and tourmalines—recall Russian decorative arts. Here, an exclusive first look. Originally ...