“The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.”
Mouawad Co-Guardian Fred Mouawad commissioned Reena to paint the 179-carat 'Romanovs' rough diamond painting.
Over the years, Mouawad has acquired a collection of diamonds that is arguably one of the world's finest in private hands. Reena had the privilege to paint the story of the Mouawad Dynasty diamond from rough to polished.
Reena Ahluwalia with her Mouawad ‘Romanovs Rough Diamond’ painting. 36 x 36 inches. ©Reena Ahluwalia. Reena’s painting captures the Russian origin of the rough diamond and celebrate this one-of-its-kind wondrous miracle of nature. The Imperial Crown of Russia stands guard and serves as a reminder of its stature in the world of diamonds.
“Pristine and pure as ice, I highlighted the origin of the rough diamond - Yakutia, Russia. In my composition, nestled within a glacier cave like a hidden treasure, is the Romanovs rough. Notice that the glacier-cave and diamond is egg-shaped - my nod to the imperial Fabergé eggs of Romanovs. You will also see The Imperial Crown of Russia, one of the most important symbols of Imperial Russian power that was used by the monarchs of Russia from 1762 until 1917”. ~ Reena
The Romanovs Rough diamond was polished into 5 spectacular diamonds, including an impressive 51.03 carat Mouawad Dynasty Diamond , the largest polished diamond of such quality in Russian jewelry history so far.
The Mouawad ‘Romanovs Rough Diamond’ painting by ©Reena Ahluwalia. 36 x 36 inches. Reena’s painting captures the Russian origin of the rough diamond and celebrate this one-of-its-kind wondrous miracle of nature.
“Around the world, Mouawad collections are worn by royalty, celebrities, and connoisseurs of exquisite jewelry. Since its inception in Lebanon in 1890, Mouawad’s heritage spans more than a century of creations and traditions in masterful jewelry design and watchmaking. ”
The Romanovs painting gets a royal nod. Jimmy Mouawad, Fred Mouawad, HIH Grand Duke George of Russia and Pascal Mouawad with the painting at the Simply Exceptional Gala hosted by Mouawad in Bangkok. Image: Mouawad.
HRH Princess Lea of Belgium, Count Gerald van der Straten Ponthoz and HIH Grand Duke George of Russia with Reena’s painting. At the Simply Exceptional Gala hosted by Mouawad in Bangkok. Image: Mouawad.
Fred Mouawad sharing Reena’s Romanovs painting with HIH Grand Duke George of Russia. It was an honor for Reena to have her painting graced by the Grand Duke of the royal Russian House of Romanov, as it tells the story of the rough diamond's origin and connection with imperial Russia. Image: Mouawad.
ORIGIN: The 'Romanovs' rough diamond was recovered by ALROSA in 2015 from Nyurbinskaya kimberlite pipe in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia. Its name, Romanovs is a nod to the heritage of Russia and Romanov-era ruler Peter the Great, who launched the development of the country’s diamond deposits and ordered the creation of Russia’s first diamond cutting and polishing factory in the early 18th century. Image: Alrosa
THE MAKING PROCESS
Check out how this magnificent diamond story was painted.
Composition is crucial for me. Each line has a reason to exist and convey a message. I make a whole lot of sketches before I finalize my composition. Can you see the imperial connection? ©Reena Ahluwalia
There are probably 10 thin layers of paint here. I carved each layer with my palette knife, brushes and fingers, drying each layer before the next. After studying the rough, I had spent a lot of time thinking on how it made me feel. Romanovs is a highly nuanced rough diamond with complex texture, transparency and translucency - together they articulate the overall form. So I chose to develop tactile texture through layering of paint. I wanted it to remind of the coolness of the icy region where it was discovered - Yakutia, Russia. Can you feel coolness of ice? ©Reena Ahluwalia
Introducing texture and building volume - one layer at a time! After all, the 179-carat 'Romanovs' is an exceptional diamond in the rough. Did you know? Rough diamonds have a wide range of surface textures. Each unique, like a fingerprint. Natural diamond roughs are formed billions of years ago, probably the oldest thing most of us will ever hold. True miracle of nature. ©Reena Ahluwalia
The IMPERIAL CROWN OF RUSSIA is a big part of my story in painting the 179-carat, Romanovs Rough Diamond. It’s the royal connection! It is one of the most important symbol of Imperial Russian power, and was used from 1762 until the Russian monarchy's abolition in 1917. ©Reena Ahluwalia
The Imperial Crown of Russia. The Imperial Crown of Russia is one of the most important symbol of Imperial Russian power. Pausier, Jeremiah (1716-1779). Silver, diamonds, pearls, gemstones. 1762 . Image: State Museum Centre. Kremlin, Moscow.
The coronation of Catherine the Great, seen wearing the Imperial Crown of Russia. ‘Catherine II in Her Coronation Robes’ (c1762) by Vigilius Eriksen.
The Great Imperial Crown was first used in a coronation by Catherine the Great, and it was last worn at the coronation of Nicholas II. The crown is covered with 4936 diamonds, 74 pearls and a a large red spinel, weighing 398.72 carats, believed to be the second largest spinel in the world. The central arch has a diamond rosette with 19 large diamonds, all averaging over 5 carats. The largest being the large Indian diamond of 12+ ct. in front.
Tsar Nicholas II Alexandrovich, Emperor of Russia wearing the Imperial Crown of Russia. Image: Unknown (If you know the source and name of the painter of this portrait, please let us know, so that we can attribute it to the authentic source).
Portrait of the Tsar (Emperor) Paul I of Russia by Vladimir Borovikovsky. Tsar is seen wearing the Imperial Crown of Russia.
The Romanovs Rough Diamond and the 51.03 carat Dynasty polished diamond. Image: Mouawad
The Romanos rough diamond was cut and polished by the most skilled and experienced craftsmen and yielded five exceptional diamond including the Mouawad Dynasty. It took a year and a half to manufacture the diamonds. Once acquired by Mouawad, the Dynasty was cut and polished further by Mouawad master diamond polishers while retaining its outstanding proportions. This resulted in a new weight of 51.03 carat which, crucially, allowed for its new clarity rating of Flawless, the highest clarity grade.. Image: Alrosa
Over the years, Mouawad has acquired a collection of historic diamonds that is arguably one of the world's finest in private hands. Image credit: Mouawad. Image compilation by Reena Ahluwalia.
Reena has painted a series of historic diamonds including the Mouawad Dragon, the Mouawad Guardian and the Mouawad Dynasty.