The history

One of the leading firms of the Russian Empire, Bolin, was founded by a diamond craftsman Andrei Rempler (died 1829), who arrived in St. Petersburg from Saxony in 1790. He was ana Qualified Appraiser of His Imperial Majesty Cabinet and had the title of court jeweler of the Emperors Paul I and Alexander I.

In 1809, A. Rempler, his wife and two daughters - Sofia and Luisa - accepted Russian citizenship. In 1810, another daughter was born - Katerina-Ernestina, who in 1834 married Carl -Edvard Bolin (1805-1864), who followed after Rempler, headed the jewelry company in 1835 and gave it his name. Before that, from 1829 to 1834, the business was led by another son-in-law of A. Rempler - the jeweler Gottlieb Ernst Jan (died 1835), with whom C. Bolin worked for a while, after arriving in 1831 from Stockholm to Petersburg (“Bolin and Yang "existed until 1836).

In 1839, Carl Bolin received the title of a court jeweler, which remained with the firm after his death in 1864. The business was continued by his sons - Edward (1842 - after 1917) and Gustav (1844 - 1916) - court jewelers and appraisers of the Cabinet.  In 1871 they established the Trade House "C. E. Bolin" in St. Petersburg. Also, the Trading House included a Moscow factory founded by Carl's younger brother Henrik Bolin (1818-1888), who came to Petersburg in 1836 and initially worked together with his brother.

In 1852, H. Bolin moved to Moscow, where, together with the Englishman James-Stuart Shanks, founded the firm "English store. Shanks and Bolin. " After H. Bolin’s death, D. Shans left a joint company and opened his own trading house "Shanks & Co". Henrik Bolin’s son - Wilhelm Bolin was forced to seek help from his St. Petersburg cousins ​​Edvard and Gustav, and from 1888 to 1912, the Moscow enterprise began to be called the same as in St. Petersburg - "Carl Edvard Bolin." On March 1, 1912, the Moscow branch of the firm became the exclusive property of Wilhelm and on December 25, 1912, received the title of the supplier of the Court.

The trade house C.E. Boli" supplied to the court until the end of 1916, when, after the death of Gustav's younger brother, Edvard Carlovich returned to his father's homeland in Stockholm, where he opened a store that still exists.

For services to the state and the court, the Bolin brothers were awarded in 1912 the title of hereditary nobility; the firm had numerous awards.

  Bolin firm was the main supplier of the state awards of the Russian Empire, creating signs of the highest orders decorated with precious stones, imperial emblems, various gifts for members of the imperial family and representatives of other monarchies on the occasion of memorable events, and for state and military officials and foreigners.

A special place in the "assortment" of the company was occupied by jewellery - brooches, cufflinks, pendants, necklaces, rings, pins, etc., characterized by special perfection and intended, often, for women of the Imperial Court. In contrast to the Petersburg Court jewellery firm, they developed silverware production in Moscow, for example, produced artistic frames for ceramics, glass and crystal.