The Romanovs ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917, when the Revolution brought their reign to an end. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were a time of elegance and extravagance for the tsars and the wealthy families with whom they were linked by marriage, and nowhere are these lavish tastes more apparent than in the imperial jewels.

Every jewel tells a story. Through his work at Sotheby's and Christie's and his own research, Stefano Papi has spent years unraveling the mysteries of Russian imperial jewelry. He identifies pieces with little or unknown provenance and uncovers...