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[Alexandr Korol]

Great Minds: Monarchs and Writers

The Ring of Dominion: Napoleon

It is possible that Napoleon’s jewel played no small role in his destiny. According to legend, while still a simple officer, the future emperor received as a gift a ring with an amethyst. Its previous owners were said to include such illustrious figures as Solomon and Alexander the Great. Napoleon was allegedly told of the ring’s power, destined to change the course of history. And the already ambitious young man, of course, could not fail to be inspired and adorned his hand with the ring. From that moment, Napoleon never parted with the talisman until his exile to Elba. Before leaving, he managed to pass on this “ring of the conqueror” to his last lady of the heart — the Polish countess Maria Walewska.

Secret Connection: A. S. Pushkin

A golden ring adorned with a large red stone was gifted to Pushkin by Countess Vorontsova, a married woman for whom the poet had developed tender feelings. It is known that Pushkin mistakenly believed the engraving on the stone to be a passage from the Qur’an or a Muslim prayer. Thanks to an impression later preserved in the A. S. Pushkin Museum at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, specialists were able to establish its Hebrew origin. It seems that Alexander Sergeyevich was fond of carnelian: at least one more of his rings bore this stone, and it too has found its place in the museum’s collection. As for which of these rings inspired the famous lines “Protect me, my talisman” — alas, that remains unknown.

Two Sides of the Coin: Oscar Wilde

The famous connoisseur of all things exquisite and original, Oscar Wilde, had a particular love for emeralds. The little fingers of both hands of the writer and playwright were adorned with rings set with miniature scarab beetles. Wilde believed that a ring worn on the right hand symbolized fortune, while on the left — misfortune. His explanation for choosing such adornments can truly be considered philosophical: the meaning lay in the idea that life consists of both white and black stripes, of happiness and sorrow, and that one cannot exist without the other.