Count Alexander moved to London when he was 19 and got a job as an apprentice to a jeweller who made copies of the Crown Jewels. A gifted craftsman, he soon struck out on his own, making jewellery as well as commissioning cubic zirconia and Swarovski crystal copies of the great jewels of history - such as the tiara of Queen Alexandra Koloshnik and the Koh-i-noor diamond. He also made jewellery and period clothes for films such as The Phantom of the Opera and Dangerous Liaisons - as well as for himself. His replica of the Titanic diamond was a great favourite, which he often wore for clubbing, along with his floor-length velvet cape and a spiky French jet headpiece. 'He lived in a fantasy world,' says his friend, the auctioneer Richard Gibbon. 'His terrace house in Barnet looked modest from the outside but inside was a gilded treasure trove, with all modern appliances hidden. One room was his "museum" containing mannequins of his "perfect people", such as Marie Antoinette, where he would have dinner parties. He was a true eccentric, an amazing person.'
