Nationality Swiss
Russian | Name Jeremie Pauzie | |
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Born 1716 Geneva, Switzerland Died 1779
Geneva, Switzerland Occupation Diamond Jeweller and Goldsmith Known for The Imperial Crown of Russia | ||
Jeremie Pauzie (1716 – 1779 in Geneva.) was a Swiss-French diamond jeweller, artist and memoirist, best known for his work for the Russian Imperial court and his main masterpiece – the Imperial Crown of Russia, that was commissioned for the coronation of Empress Catherine the Great (1762). The Coronation crown by Jeremie Pauzie was later used for coronations by all Russian Emperors till the death of the last Romanov, Nicholas II of Russia in 1918. Jeremie Pauzie was one of the first diamond craftsmen and goldsmiths of his time, working under the patronage of three Russian Empresses – Empress Anna of Russia, Empress Elizabeth of Russia and most notably, Catherine the Great. He is considered to be one of the main influences on the European art and jewellery makers, inspiring the work of Louis-David Duval, Krag, J-P Ador and, later that of Birbaum, Louis Cartier and Carl Faberge
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The Diamond Master
Jeremie Pauzie was born in 1716 in Geneva to a family of French Huguenots Etienne Pauzie and Suzanne Bouverot, and was one of six children. In 1729 Jeremie Pauzie moved to Russia with his father Etienne to join his uncle Pierre, who was a surgeon at the royal court of Peter II. The family traveled to St Petersburg by foot through Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. After serving a short time in the army in the northern city of Arkhangelsk (1730 -1731) and following the death of his father, young Jeremie Pauzie gained an apprenticeship under the Parisian precious stone cutter Benoit Gravereaus, where he learned his craft for the next seven years (1732–39). Young Jeremie Pauzie surpassed his teacher, he caught the attention of Empress Anna, and in 1740 he left Gravereaus to open his own workshop.
Throughout his working life (1740-1764) Pauzie, who held the title Principal Diamond Expert and Court Jeweller, made jewellery and gifts for the Russian nobility, courtiers and the Imperial family. He recorded his life in the book of ‘Memoirs of a Court Jeweller Pauzie, published by the Russian history journal ‘Russkaya Starina’ in 1870. He became renowned for his own craftsmanship and aesthetic, and most notably for his main masterpiece – the Great Imperial Crown of Russia.
The Great Imperial Crown
Jeremie Pauzie’s most prominent imperial commission was the Great Imperial Crown of Russia, created for the coronation of Catherine the Great in 1762. Inspired by the Byzantine Empire design, the crown was constructed of two gold and silver half spheres, representing the eastern and western Roman empires, divided by a foliate garland and fastened with a low hoop.
The crown contains 75 pearls and 4,936 Indian diamonds forming laurel and oak leaves, the symbols of power and strength, and is surmounted by a 398.62 carat ruby spinel, that previously belonged to the Empress Elizabeth, and a diamond cross.
The crown was produced in a record two months and weighted only 2.3kg. From 1762, the crown created by Jeremie Pauzie was the coronation crown of all Romanov emperors, till the monarchy’s abolition and the death of last Romanov, Nikolas II in 1918. It is considered to be one of the main treasures of the Romanov dynasty, and is now on display in the Moscow Kremlin Armoury Museum in Russia.
Royal Jeweller and Noble Gifting
During his working life in St. Petersburg, Jeremie Pauzie enjoyed a very close relationship with the Empresses and the royal court. Through these connections, he created numerous pieces of diamond and precious stone jewellery and gifts for the royal families, statesmen and diplomats. He survived numerous changes of power and retained his title of the Court Jeweller throughout his life.
Pauzie recorded in his memoirs that diamonds were often needed for large tobacco boxes and rings as presents for foreign ministers. He was the only craftsman charged with these important orders, which were arranged through the Chancellor Vorontsov, on the direct instructions of Empress Catherine the Great. Pauzie also made jewellery for Russian aristocracy, who commissioned refined luxury items: watches and clocks, bouquets, rings, brooches and tobacco ‘snuffboxes’, that became fashion as gifting items for over a century. In 1764 Jeremie Pauzie left Russia to return to his native Geneva, he died in 1779.
The Art Jeweller
Jeremie Pauzie was the unrivalled master of diamond and precious stone cutting and settings. His pieces were designed to appear in gems alone, while the gold and silver settings were concealed to create a weightless, airy effect. The great lightness was achieved by a large number of empty spaces in the composition and the intentional lack of design symmetry.
A master technician, Pauzie used coloured gemstones, rubies, emeralds and pearls to create pieces that elevated the multi-carat stones to symbolise the wealth and beauty of its owners, and the artistry of its creator. His signature style was characterised by numerous colour combinations of precious stones, forming magnificent multicoloured pieces. Pauzie’s creative life culminated in the Golden Age of Russian art and culture, under the reign of Catherine the Great. Like her predecessor and another Pauzie benefactor Empress Elizabeth of Russia, Catherine was one of the greatest and most tireless collectors of jewellery which, in the eyes of the European monarchy, signified the power and prosperity of Russia. The pieces created by Jeremie Pauzie formed the extraordinary Imperial collections, with their unrivalled magnificence standing as an emblem for the formidable might of the Russian Empire and its rulers.
His work formed part of the art jewellery exhibitions, including The Art of the Goldsmith & the Jeweler at A La Vieille Russie in New York (1968) and Carl Faberge and Masters of Stone Carving: Gem Masterpieces of Russia at the Dormition Belfry of the Moscow Kremlin Museums in Moscow (2011). In 2013 the Jeremie Pauzie name was acquired by French luxury group Vendome Private Trading, which plans to open new stores in Paris and London in 2015.