Because I’ve been spending the Thanksgiving holiday with my family, there will be no weekly jewel roundup this week. Instead, please enjoy this glimpse of an incredible royal jewel moment that took place today in history!

On this day in 1894, more than a century ago, the eyes of the world were on Russia. Tsar Nicholas II, the young man who had become emperor only three weeks earlier, was preparing to marry a German princess. They couldn’t have known then that this imperial wedding, held under a cloud of mourning, would be the last nuptials of a Russian emperor and empress. Today, let’s look back on the unusual day, and the traditional jewels worn by the bride.