Cecilie Auguste Marie of Mecklenburg (1884-1954) was the last Crown Princess of the German Empire. She was the daughter of Great Duke Freidrich Franz III of Mecklenburg and Great Duchess Anastasia Michailowna Romanowa, as well as the great granddaughter of Czar Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia (1825-1855) and the last King of Poland (1825-1930).
During her life, Duchess Cecilie contributed hugely to society by actively organising charity works and promoting education for women; as well as being recognised as one of the most popular, elegant and stylish women of her time.
In 1905 Cecilie married her great love, Wilhelm von Preussen (last Crown Prince of Germany). The superb diamond necklace offered as lot 310 was gifted to Cecilie on the occasion of her wedding by her grandfather Grand Duke of Russia Michael Nikolajewitsh Romanov. The year following the wedding all the gifts were publicly exhibited at the Kunstgewerbe Museum in Berlin.
Grand Duke Michael commissioned lot 310 at Bolin. The necklace bears maker’s marks for Vladimir Finikov as well as Russian assay marks for Saint Petersburg, 1899-1904. The house of Bolin was established in Saint Petersburg in the late 18th century, quickly becoming the jewellers to the Imperial Court. Their elegant and finely crafted jewels were also retailed in Paris by houses such as Boucheron. In the beginning of the 20th century the firm relocated to Sweden, where they still exist today, and are jewellers to His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden.