Carl Edvard Bolin

Swedish jeweller, goldsmith, silversmith. Son-in-law of Andreas Römpler, elder brother of Henrik Conrad Bolin, uncle of Wilhelm James Bolin. Born in Stockholm (1805) in the family of Swedish sea captain and merchant Jonas Wilhelm Bolin (1774–1831) and his wife Charlotta Wilhelmina Ostermark (1783–1856). Grew up on Wollmar Yxkullsgatan in Södermalm (1810s). Studied book-keeping in Stockholm (1820s) and moved to the Russian Empire (1831) after his father was shipwrecked and drowned in the English Channel (1831). Worked as a book-keeper in the Finnish town of Porvoo (1831–32) and moved to St Petersburg (1832), where he was employed by German jeweller Gottlieb Ernst Jahn (1833), son-in-law of Andreas Römpler. Married Andreas Römpler’s youngest daughter Ernestine Katarina Karoline (1834), who gave birth to children Anders Vilhelm (1835), Charlotte (1837), Ernestine (1838), Mathilde (1840), Edvard Ludvig (1842), Gustav Oskar Friedrich (1844), Emelie Sophie (1846) and Alexandrine (1849). Formed a partnership with Gottlieb Ernst Jahn called Jahn & Bolin (1834), which was renamed Bolin & Jahn after his partner’s death (1836). Invited his younger brother Henrik Conrad Bolin to Russia (1836). Appointed court jeweller and awarded Russian citizenship (1839). Employed fifty craftsmen at his workshop on the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Dirty (now Marat) Street (1849). Renamed the firm C. E. Bolin (1850). Appointed appraiser of the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty (1851). Opened a branch in Moscow managed by Henrik Conrad Bolin (1852). Awarded the Order of St Anne (1846), Order of St Vladimir (1857) and the title of hereditary honorary citizen (1862). Died in St Petersburg and buried at the Volkovo Lutheran Cemetery in St Petersburg (1864), where his work was continued by his widow and sons Edvard Ludvig (1842–1926) and Gustav Oskar Friedrich (1844–1916), who were appointed court jewellers and official purveyors to the Russian court (1864) and moved into new premises at 10 Bolshaya Morskaya Street (1869) and 12 Malaya Morskaya Street (1874). Made presents for the weddings of Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna (1874), Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna (1894), Duke Peter of Oldenburg and Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (1901) and Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Younger (1908). Elevated to the rank of the nobility (1912). Contributed to the Pan-Russian Manufacturing Exhibition at Solyanoi Gorodok in St Petersburg (1870), Pan-Russian Exhibition of Art and Industry in Moscow (1882), Great Exhibition in London (1851), Smycken och silver för tsaren, drottningar och andra: W. A. Bolin 200 år S:t Petersburg, Moskva, Stockholm at the Livrustkammaren in Stockholm (1996–97) and Bolin in Russia: Court Jeweller of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries at the Dormition Belfry of the Moscow Kremlin Museums in Moscow (2001–02).