The sapphire is now mounted on a Cartier diamond bracelet.
“This exceptional historical sapphire originated in the legendary collection of the Romanov family,” reads the auction listing. “The fabled collection of the Russian Tsars was arguably the most opulent and valuable Royal collection ever assembled.”
The Romanovs were the last Russian monarchy, and their rule ended in 1917 when Czar Nicholas II abdicated the throne at the beginning of the Russian Revolution. The following year, the family was executed by the Bolsheviks.
Following the Russian Revolution, the Romanov collection was sold off by the Soviets in the 1920s, after which this sapphire was acquired by a socialite named Ganna Walska in 1927, said Sotheby’s.
In 2015, Cartier mounted the sapphire on the bracelet it is seen on today.
“The bracelet, with interchangeable rock crystal centre, highlights both the historical Romanov sapphire as well as Cartier’s unique artistic legacy anchored in the art deco period,” according to Sotheby’s.
Previous auctions of Romanov jewels have also fetched far more than their estimate.
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