Máxima of the Netherlands

The Dutch Sapphire Parure Tiara

The Dutch Sapphire Parure Tiara consists of 655 brilliants and 32 sapphires and made perhaps its most famous outing on the head of Queen Maxima during the inauguration of her husband, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Embed from Getty Images The largest sapphire has an intersection of 2 centimetres and consists of 44 carats, and [read more]

Anna Pavlovna of Russia

The Tsar Peter House

This little wooden house hardly inspires visions of Peter the Great but he stayed here several times. The house was built in 1632 for a labourer. It became famous in 1697 when Peter the Great came to visit to learn about Dutch shipbuilding. He insisted on staying with blacksmith and craftsman Gerrit Kist whom he [read more]