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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
One of the largest blue diamonds in the world had appeared in public references for more than half a century only sporadically. A family legend links the stone to the release of Mikhail Tereshchenko from a Bolshevik prison, but the known chronology of the jewel contradicts this version.
This is written by Roman Timofeyev.
Mikhail Tereshchenko was born in Kyiv 1886 year and came from one of the wealthiest Ukrainian entrepreneurial families. The Tereshenkos hailed from Hlukhiv in Sumy region, and the foundation of their wealth was the sugar industry.
The family also owned lands, enterprises, and financial assets. The Tereshenkos spent substantial sums on charity, supporting hospitals, educational institutions, shelters, churches, museums, and art collections.
Mikhail Tereshchenko’s fortune was estimated at more than 60 million rubles. In 1917 year he became a member of the Provisional Government of Russia — initially heading the Ministry of Finance, and later the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A large blue diamond, now known as the Tereschenko Blue, is associated with Tereshchenko. Its early origin remains unknown. The jeweler Mouawad, which currently owns the stone, does not specify the exact date of its discovery or the specific mine.
There is a version that the diamond originated in India, however there is no confirmed information about initial owners.
Michel Tereshchenko’s grandson, Michel Tereshchenko, recounted the family version that his grandfather bought the stone 1913 year in Antwerp for Margaret Noel — a Frenchwoman who later became his first wife.
Jewelry sources also allow tracing the diamond’s history from 1913 year, though they begin it in Paris.
Then Mikhail Tereshchenko left the large blue stone at Cartier. In 1915 year he commissioned a necklace for it. The central diamond weighing 42,92 carats received a pear-cut.
Around it Cartier placed another 46 diamonds of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Among them were round, pear-shaped, heart-shaped stones and marquises, and the color palette included yellow, pink, green, and blue hues.
Different sources place Tereschenko Blue differently among the largest blue diamonds. Mouawad lists it as second after the Hope Diamond, weighing 45,52 carats, while in Christie’s catalog the stone appeared as the fourth among the largest known fancy blue diamonds.
After the Bolshevik coup in the autumn of 1917 year, Tereshchenko, along with other Provisional Government members, was arrested in the Winter Palace. He was sent to the Petropavlovsk Fortress, from which he was released in spring 1918 year, after which he left the former empire.
It is this period that is connected with the most famous legend about the diamond. Michel Tereshchenko claimed that Margaret Noel pressured for his release and allegedly struck a deal with Leon Trotsky. The price of freedom supposedly was the large blue stone.
However, there is no documentary evidence for this version. Moreover, Christie’s data indicate that Tereschenko Blue left the Russian Empire as early as 1916 year and subsequently passed to an unnamed private owner.
Gem-A cites the same chronology. If these data are correct, in 1918 year Margaret Noel could no longer pass this diamond weighing 42,92 carats to the Bolsheviks.
At the same time, this does not exclude that the family could have paid for Tereshchenko’s release with other jewels or money. There is no confirmation of a direct link between Tereschenko Blue and his release from prison.
After 1916 year, the stone’s history becomes significantly less clear. One possible version of its subsequent fate was found by jewelry historian and gemologist Jack Ogden while studying old newspapers.
His attention was drawn to French dancer Suzanne Marie Blanche Tuilière, who performed under the name Mademoiselle Primrose. She lived in Saint Petersburg for a time and was acquainted with people from the court circle.
Before the revolution, Tuilière emigrated to France. In the French press 1920-years, a large blue diamond weighing about 43 carats was mentioned as having accompanied her.
That weight nearly matches that of the Tereschenko Blue — 42,92 carats. According to newspaper reports, the dancer arrived in Nice in 1916 year and soon after set the stone.
Subsequently the diamond was repeatedly mentioned in financial disputes. In March 1925 year the case reached a civil court in Nice, after which reliable mentions of the jewel almost disappear.
The coincidence of year and weight gave Jack Ogden grounds to suppose that the stone Mademoiselle Primrose could have been the same Tereschenko Blue.
However, there is no evidence. Newspaper reports of that time contradict each other, so the dancer’s story is considered only as one of the possible versions of the diamond’s further fate.
Who owned Tereschenko Blue after Tereshchenko and where exactly the jewel was located during the following decades is not known for certain.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Блакитний діамант Терещенка зник на десятиліття: легенда пов’язує його з викупом із в’язниці". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Expert.
