The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of elegance and extravagance for Russia's ruling tsars and the wealthy families with whom they were linked by marriage, and nowhere are these tastes more apparent than in the imperial jewels. Stefan…

A tour of the famous gem and jewelry collections of some of history's wealthiest or most famous people shares the stories behind the pieces owned by such figures as the Duchess of Windsor, Barbara Hutton, and Ava Gardner. Reprint.

For many centuries the collecting of precious jewels was the preserve of kings and queens, emperors and maharajahs. But in the aftermath of the First World War, with the fall of several European monarchies, royal gems passed into the hands of a diff…