Jewelers

Jeremiah Pozier

Snuffbox with the monogram of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, approx. 1750 Gold, silver, diamonds; chasing, polishing, punching
Snuffbox with the monogram of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, approx. 1750 Gold, silver, diamonds; chasing, polishing, punching

Jeremiah Pozier was born in Geneva in 1716, and in 1729 his father and his sons came to St. Petersburg to seek his fortune. At the age of 15, Jeremiah’s father enrolled in an apprenticeship to the court diamond-maker, the Frenchman Gravero, and soon died. Jeremiah turned out to be very talented and soon became Gravero’s main assistant.

It all started with Empress Anna Ioannovna. The Empress often ordered Gravero to come with her masters to her chambers and work there in front of her eyes, drew attention to Jeremiah. She liked him.

Bouquet of flowers. Gold, silver, crystal, faceting polishing,
Bouquet of flowers. Gold, silver, crystal, faceting polishing,

Jeremiah Pozier ‘s own workshop

Soon Jeremiah opened his own small workshop and, thanks to his acquaintance with the empress, began to receive many orders and acquired great acquaintances at court.

Pozier worked in the Russian capital for many years, he was called “the court jeweler of the three empresses”, and among his customers were all the St. Petersburg nobility. After himself, in addition to wonderful pieces of jewelry, he also left behind the “Notes of a Court Diamond Maker” – about life and work in Russia.

Bouquet of flowers. Gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones. St. Petersburg, 1740s
Bouquet of flowers. Gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones. St. Petersburg, 1740s

In addition to the fact that this talented master created the Great Imperial Crown, he created a variety of jewelry items for empresses and court ladies.

And now we may well remember about summer, about flowers and bouquets! After all, it was Jeremiah Pozier who specialized in precious bouquets of diamonds and other precious stones! .. He really got real masterpieces that are not inferior to the beauty of real fresh flowers!

Bouquet of flowers. Gold, silver, precious stones, glass. 1740s
Bouquet of flowers. Gold, silver, precious stones, glass. 1740s

Works for Empresses

For empresses and aristocratic ladies from high society, Pozier made jewelry bouquets of gold, silver and magnificent stones, different in color, cut and origin. Such bouquets were usually worn by noble ladies on a belt or shoulder, sometimes attached to the bodice of a dress. All stones of such a bouquet were fixed in silver frames, and gold served only to combine individual flowers into a bouquet. Often, for the curiosity and liveliness of the impression, I. Pozier inserted into the bouquet small figures of some insect – a dragonfly, a butterfly or a beetle.

Big bouquet of Catherine II. Made from emeralds and diamonds. The only 15-carat diamond has a natural lilac-pink color. Catherine wore this bouquet in 1760.
Big bouquet of Catherine II. Made from emeralds and diamonds. The only 15-carat diamond has a natural lilac-pink color. Catherine wore this bouquet in 1760.

In his works, he assigned stones a key role, making gold and silver frames barely noticeable, creating a feeling of lightness and weightlessness of the stone pattern. Weightlessness of the product was achieved due to the large number of voids and the deliberate lack of symmetry in the design of the composition.

Posier was a very honest and trusting person. He often made products on credit and for his own money, as a result he often suffered financially. Fearing to completely lose his earned funds, he left Russia at the beginning of the reign of Empress Catherine II. In January 1764, two years after the imperial crown was made, he returned to his native Geneva with his wife and adult daughters. The funds he earned gave him the opportunity to settle well in his homeland in Switzerland.

Brooch Bouquet of flowers
Brooch Bouquet of flowers

Exhibitions

Pozier’s work has been featured in jewelry exhibitions, including The Art of the Goldsmith & the Jeweler at A La Vieille Russie in New York (1968) and the Carl Faberge and the Stone Carving Masters exhibition in the Moscow Kremlin (2011). Since 2011, the rights to the Jérémie Pauzié brand have belonged to the French luxury group Vendôme Private Trading. The study of the heritage and the revival of the Jérémy Pauzier school are the fundamental principles and tasks of the Jewelry House.

Jeremiah Pozier. Mushechnitsa, mid-19th century Gold, silver, diamonds, enamel; chasing, engraving, painting. 2.2x4.3 cm
Mushechnitsa, mid-19th century Gold, silver, diamonds, enamel; chasing, engraving, painting. 2.2×4.3 cm
Necklace and earrings made of precious stones
Necklace and earrings made of precious stones
Jeremiah Pozier. Egret-portbouquet of Empress Elizabeth
Egret-portbouquet of Empress Elizabeth
Jeremiah Pozier. Rectangular snuffbox with wavy walls, 1740s Gold, silver, diamonds, sapphires, quartz, chasing, polishing, punching
Rectangular snuffbox with wavy walls, 1740s Gold, silver, diamonds, sapphires, quartz, chasing, polishing, punching
Jeremiah Pozier. When jewelry bouquets were displayed in the Hermitage's Treasure Gallery in the 19th century, special vases were made for them.
When jewelry bouquets were displayed in the Hermitage’s Treasure Gallery in the 19th century, special vases were made for them. Jeremiah Pozier