Catherine was a woman who liked the luxuries and eccentricities; He had a unique beauty, which was desired by many men of the time. At age 16, his mother decides to give her to the millionaire Duke Peter, they would marry in a wedding full of luxury. Catherine was married a long time with the Duke, and without the care of him. The neglect was such that remained untouched for almost eight years after the wedding. Finding herself in this situation, the Empress fell into an affair with the Duke’s best friend, called Sergey Saltykov, who soon made her a mother.
Upon her husband’s learn about these frequent slips, he demanded loyalty !, so great Catalina felt the urgent need to kill him, carrying out the plan with her lovers, among them the Orlov brothers.
As a symbol of this hegemony, Catherine managed to collect a large amount of jewelry. The vast majority of these can still be found in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Among the most famous and history-filled jewelry is the diamond Orlov, which contains a rather peculiar history and you certainly get your attention.
The history of this beautiful diamond has faded with time, but there are stories with a lot of sense, they have this diamond was used as the eye of a statue of Sri Swamy, located in southern India.
This diamond was stolen from the statue by a farmer who was working in the area and passed by believer in the Hindu religion, to enter the temple where the statue was wonderful and steal the diamond. Since then, the gemstone was passed to unknown hands, and after a long time, finished in the gemstone market in Amsterdam.
The diamond was sold to Grigori Grigoryevich Orlov, a Russian count, by a fairly high amount of money. Count interest was such that had made them pay even more than had been agreed.
Sophie Frederick Augusta, who had had an affair with Count many years before him acquired this wonderful gem, never imagined he would become the famous Catherine II of Russia. Count wanted to revive the cravings many deep love he had experienced before Catherine, without thinking twice he decided to give the majestic Diamond.
After failing to get what he wanted, that was the love of Catherine, Catherine II decided to make several gifts to the count, including a command center to make a beautiful diamond embedded in it, and ordered that it be named after Count Orlov.
It’s well-known that Catherine was an ambitious woman and a little frivolous. Deep romances with different lovers have led to a huge collection of jewels, among which Orlov diamond, which has a historical value that makes him deeply inspiring.
Dare to see each of the stunning jewelry at the Museum of St. Petersburg! You will not regret it!
ALFA