Visitors to the Russian capital invariably include the Armory museum in their itinerary, but few take the time to glimpse the priceless treasures of the Diamond Fund right next door. Unfortunately, those visitors have missed something priceless, but you don't have to - if you know how to get inside

Since finding the Russian Diamond Fund requires the tenacity of an adventurer and the instincts of a hunting dog, it is important that we talk about this issue first. If you already know how to break into this high-security exhibit, which I really doubt, please move on to the next part.

First, some time-saving advice that I could have used this morning: tickets to this permanent gem display are not sold at the outdoor kiosks where everybody queues up to enter the Kremlin. The Diamond Fund is in a class all by itself. Tickets can only be purchased inside the Kremlin at the entrance to the Fund. So how does one get inside of the Kremlin without a ticket? Yes, it is possible, but it requires a little walk and a little talk.

Okay, let the Games begin: Enter Alexander's Garden from the side closest to Red Square (near the eternal flame) and walk clear to the other side of the park.You will walk under a red brick bridge where the commonweal enter the Kremlin grounds; continue straight. Buy a hotdog from a vendor if you start to get bored or hungry or both. For a bit more excitement, not to mention solitude, veer to the left immediately after the bridge.

This newly opened walking path will take you on a pleasant stroll alongside the soaring Kremlin walls. At the end of this path, you will see an entrance to the Kremlin to your left at the top of a pair of steps. A bronze plaque to the right identifies this entrance as the ‘Borovitskaya Bashnya.'

Now here it is very important not to lose your nerves. The no-nonsense guards will demand to see your ticket, but of course you don't have one because like I said they don't sell them outside.

Do not run away with your tourist tail dragging between your legs. Guards love when this happens. So ruin their day by repeating "Diamond Fund"like a crazy parrot; do not budge until they let you pass-go through the metal detector.

Okay, you're inside:Mission Not-So Impossible! Now walk to the left past the sorry bunch of tourists who are waiting to enter the Armory. Laugh and point at themas you pass, making snide remarks about how much more interesting the Diamond Fund is than the State Museum. There is no greater envy than tourist envy (hee-hee).

Okay, so keep walking up the sidewalk until you get to the end of the building. There will be two prominent marble plaques on either side of an unremarkable door that announce the Diamond Fund in the Russian language (Aлмазный Фонд России). If there is a line, it will be much shorter than the line for the Armory. Also, for whatever reason, when I was there they were letting foreigners pass to the front of the line. Probably so they can overcharge you without the benefit of witnesses? Joke. Okay, so once inside, approach the counter and be prepared for some serious sticker shock. Tickets to see the Kremlin's family gems at 500 rubles a head will force you and your family to eat at McDonald's for the rest of your Russian getaway. But it's worth it.

GEMS, GEMS EVERYWHERE

Just walking into the Diamond Fund, which was instituted by Peter the Great in 1719, is a treat in itself. Visitors pass through a door that is about 10 inches of solid something. Inside, the lights are completely dimmed and only the exhibits are illuminated,which creates a somber atmosphere. In the very center of the room is ample proof that gold and silver is possibly not as rare as believed: massive nuggets of the precious metals, each one contorted in its own style by the pressure of time, shimmer tantalizingly from their permanent resting places.

The exhibit starts on the right with a collection of cut gems of every color. Immediately, the one drawback of the exhibit becomes crystal clear: the cool gems carry no description tags - neither in Russian or English. So if you know a geologist, bring him along. Anyways, some things, like the diamonds, emeralds and rubies, are pretty obvious. And there are lots of them in every size and shape imaginable. And yes, everything is real.

The last case on the right side boasts about 200 diamonds, each one the size of a marble. One of the diamond's in the case is a rare black diamond that is cut oblong. After the cut gems are the real show stoppers: these are the broaches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and diadems worn by Russian royalty and very high society. I dare say that any piece in the collection would make an oil oligarch's wife breathless from the sheer labor of wearing the massive amulets around town.But this is not stuff for the sushi bar or disco. The necklaces are weighted with so many diamonds, rubies, pearls and gold that it is hard to imagine a slender aristocratic neck wearing them for any length of time.

But equally alluring to the jewels are the almost mythical stories behind them. As one version of the tale goes, the famed Orlov diamond, on display at the Fund, was once used as the eye of an idol in a Brahman temple. Stolen by vandals and eventually sold to an Armenian merchant, the stone found its way to Russia where Count Grigory Orlov presented it to Catherine the Great. The empress had the 189.62-carat rock mounted into the head of the Romanov-family scepter.

Another crafted piece attests to the Golden Fleece Order, which is described in one (expensive) catalogue as "one of the oldest and most honorary Orders in the world... only members of the oldest noble families enjoyed the right to be knighted in it."

T h e Gold Fleece Order shows a sheep hanging from a massive clasp made of very rare Brazilian topazes, light gold and diamonds. Then there is the famous Shah diamond, which carries more history than some countries. It is a yellowish stone that contains three ancient Persian inscriptions, the earliest one dating from before 1590. After a bounce around the world, the diamond finally settled in the Fund after being presented to Tsar Nicholas I by Shah Fath ‘Ali in 1829.

Probably the best known piece from the collection is the Great Imperial Crown (above), which was made by Swiss native J. Pauzie, who eventually became one of the most prominent jewelers in the empire. The Crown, which weighs 5 pounds, boasts 4,936 diamonds weighing 2,858 carats and is topped off by a dark red ruby below  a diamond cross. Two rows of large pearls run

front to back on either side of the crown. Even those who are not big fans of jewels and gems will be deeply struck by the incredible craftsmanship behind the treasures.

One word of caution: The guards on duty take their jobs quite serious. This reporter had his notebook temporarily taken away until it was determined that he was not scribbling notes on the security system.Don't lean on the glass! On the way out of the exhibit, visitors will find postcards and books that contain lots of information that the exhibit fails to provide.

Working Hours: 10 AM - 6 PM

Lunch Break: 1 PM - 2 PM

Closed Thursdays

500 rubles per (foreign) visitor

No cameras, video recorders, or mobile phones permitted.

These items can be stored downstairs, following the steps that are next to the cashiers

By Robert Bridge