An exceptional Grand Cross Breast Star of Russian manufacture, 82 mm., diamond-cut chiselled and pierced rays of “Austrian” taste, flanked by green enameled short ones, gold bordered centre medallion with excellently-made miniature painting, depicting the couching lion on the background of sun, the rays, under the translucent, orange enamel, with a beautiful effect of reflexes, green enameled outer circlet with applied a thick, chiselled laurel wreath made of gold, the whole, enclosed within a circle of diamond-cut beads smooth reverse, struck with Russian silver and “G.l” master marks, vertical, tapering pin, struck with “Arnd” maker’s mark and the French, “Swan” one.
A most rare piece, made by an important and rarely seen Russian manufacturer of German descent.
In Tammann, “Imperial Russian Maker’s Marks on Orders and Decorations”, London, Spink, 1993, this family of jewellers is accurately described on pages 16-17. It’s interesting to note that the author indicates a jewelled breast star of this same manufacturer, among the prominent pieces made in Arnd’s workshop. I RR!