Guards Crown Jewels

The imperial crown jewels of Russia, fabulous in their craftsmanship and value, have been deposited in the somewhat uneasy hands of Thomas C. Colt Jr. *26 for safe-keeping. This collection, which includes everything from 17th century icons to some 500 of the creations of Carl Faberge, premier craftsman of the 19th century and long-time personal jeweler to the Tzars, was recently bequeathed by Mrs. John Lee Pratt of Fredericksburg, Va., to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, of which Mr. Colt is the director.

It was during the years following the Russian Revolution that the personal treasure of the Imperial family became widely dispersed. Because of her interest in many of the more beautiful objects of art, Mrs. Pratt acquired this collection for her home. It wasn't until after her death and the subsequent arrival of the jewels at the Museum, that the real value of the collection was known. After this appraisal, the pieces were valued so highly that the Museum vault was not considered safe enough for the larger gems, and these were transferred to a bank vault.

As Museum director, Mr. Colt has to worry about the safety of his treasure. He has had to plan specially constructed burglar-proof exhibition rooms in the Museum for the collection, and until this work has been done, most of the gems will be withheld from the public eye.