Napoleon created the largest collection of jewelry in the world to shower Josephine and embellish his imperial ambitions. It’s no wonder these luscious gems star in Ridley Scott’s epic film

About an hour into Ridley Scott’s epic film, the cinema screen is filled with the lavish imperial coronation of Napoleon and Josephine.

It is a telling moment – ​​a turning point in the history of France and the world and a projection of power and splendor that the French still unashamedly admire today.

And from the film’s coronation at Notre Dame – and from Jacques-Louis David’s famous painting of the 1804 spectacle that clearly inspired the filmmaker – emerge jewelry of rare opulence.

The women present in the film include Napoleon’s sisters and sisters-in-law and Josephine’s daughter, Hortense, from her previous marriage.

They are all adorned with spectacular jewels that glitter and glow as the ceremony, which took place in the darkness of December 2, took place by candlelight.

This is exactly the kind of scene Napoleon wanted.

When it was decided earlier in 1804 that Bonaparte would be declared Emperor of the French, he decided to establish a dynastic royal family. And for that he needed a set of royal jewels.

Since François I, the French Crown Jewels, Les Joyaux de la Couronne, belonged to the French people (just as the British Crown Jewels belong to us).

But in 1792, during the Revolution, they were stolen from where they were kept in the Garde Meuble in Paris. Many were subsequently sold or destroyed – victims of a new republic without the need for pomp and ceremony.

For example, the Régent, a sublime diamond of 140.64 carats from Golconda that had been in the royal collection since 1717, had been pawned in Berlin for 2.5 million livres.

Napoleon decided to reclaim it and place the diamond which became his imperial sword, worn during the coronation.

Napoleon wanted his wife and her court to be adorned with the finest jewels for two reasons: firstly to reflect their status as first consul and lady, but also to revive the faltering jewelery industry that required Paris until the Revolution had become so famous in 1789.

It had developed with enormous speed.

Within a few years there were 400 jewelers employing 800 men and 2,000 women, creating designs from delicate pearl and diamond necklaces and earrings to bracelets and belts, all set with gemstones – many of which were sourced during expeditions to Egypt and Brazil .

It was the diadem or tiara that became the iconic French ornament – and subsequently spread throughout Europe.

The discoveries of gold jewelry from Herculaneum and Pompeii in the late 18th century, and Napoleon’s early Egypt campaign of 1798, where he encountered ancient artifacts and, as we see in the film, a mummified Pharoah (this scene is probably Scott’s artistic license) led then General Bonaparte’s decision to imitate the ancient world.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the jewelry he encouraged Josephine to wear.

As art and jewelry historian Diana Scarisbrick writes in her book chapter on the French jewelry house Chaumet: “Napoleon revived the tiara for Josephine, […] and the women of the imperial family and court.’

The designs were strictly classical, with classical motifs.

One of Empress Josephine’s favorites was the ear of corn, a symbol of Ceres, the Roman goddess of prosperity, harvest and fertility.

(Josephine was desperate to provide Napoleon with an heir and despite having two adult children from her first marriage, she seemed unable to father his child.)

Josephine had several “Ear of Wheat” tiaras, including this one made by Nitot

Another important symbol that Napoleon wanted to revive was the laurel leaf, probably the most recognizable symbol from the time of the Roman emperors and Caesar.

It is a wreath of gold laurel wreaths that Napoleon wore for his coronation, the theme of which is also reflected in the design of the formidable diamond diadem worn by Empress Josephine during the ceremony.

Napoleon’s famous crown was destroyed during the restoration of the monarchy in 1814, but one of its forty-four large leaves, forty-two detachable berries and twelve smaller leaves was saved – and sold at auction six years ago for more than £430,000

Another neoclassical theme was the cameo, a style so loved by Napoleon that he had it incorporated into many pieces of jewelry.

There are various parures consisting of cameos made in the bluestones of, among other things, agate and malachite.

In 1808, 82 intaglios and cameos were removed from a state collection and redecorated by Nitot into a vast suite for Empress Josephine, including a tiara and necklace, belt and bracelets.

We also see cameo and intaglio tiaras worn by Napoleon’s sisters and sister-in-law, as well as Hortense – Josephine’s daughter – in David’s painting – faithfully depicted in the film. The Queen of Sweden owns a cameo parure that Nitot made for Empress Josephine, who lent it to her daughter, lately the Queen of Holland.

When Napoleon officially became emperor in May 1804, he knew he needed a new crown and looked again to the past.

This time, however, he looked not to the Romans for inspiration, but to medieval Europe, commissioning Nitot for what he called the ‘Crown of Charlemagne’.

It was made of gold with four full arches with a cross on a gold sphere in the center. Instead of gemstones, it was set with cameos and carved carnelian (a brown-red bluestone), the band had gold leaf around the circumference and a red velvet cap inside.

Pope Pius VII was persuaded to travel from the Vatican to anoint the Imperial couple, but the poor man was treated contemptuously by Napoleon!

When the crown was brought out for the Pope to place on his head – Napoleon took it from the altar and placed it on his own head, he then placed the same crown on the Empress’s head – it is thought that this act of ignoring of the Pope as his way of declaring that he is ignoring the power of the Vatican and the clergy, and making himself omnipotent over his own empire.

(However, the film and painting show him crowning Josephine with her own crown, this time set with sparkling gems.)

Once Napoleon became emperor, he began creating his titles and kingdoms for his family – who, of course, needed their own royal jewels to stamp their new seniority.

Many of these jewels now belong to the royal families of Europe and alongside Nitot, known as Chaumet since 1889, Mellerio created many of the Bonaparte jewels.

When Napoleon divorced Josephine in 1810, to marry a younger model who could give him an heir, she returned all the jewels that belonged to the crown and gave much to her daughter and her son’s wife, Eugène, a princess of Bavaria. who upon marriage became the Duchess of Leuchtenberg.

Their daughter became Queen of Sweden, meaning that many of Josephine’s jewels are now the property of the Swedish royal family.

But as we can see from the archives of Mellerio, the oldest jeweler in the world who still has order books dating back to Napoleonic times, Josephine continued to order even more.

Old habits are hard to unlearn.

• Josie Goodbody is a jewelry writer and author of mystery novels