Russian imperial family's 197-carat sapphire sells for $4.9 million, beating estimate

A 197.80-carat sapphire with a direct link to Russia’s imperial past has sold for $4.9 million at Sotheby’s in Geneva, far exceeding expectations. The stone, once part of the Russian Crown Jewels and worn by Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna at the 1903 Winter Palace Ball, was offered as the centrepiece of a Cartier bracelet and had a presale estimate of up to 1.7 million Swiss francs, or roughly $2 million, as per Sotheby’s website.The sapphire, known as the Romanov Sapphire, carries a history that stretches back centuries.

Its journey from the Russian imperial court to a modern auction room is a story of revolution, exile and reinvention, and its final sale price reflects the enduring appeal of objects with a royal past. Read more about it, as per the details on the auction house's website, here:A sapphire from the Romanov eraThe Romanov Sapphire is a 197.80-carat natural, unheated Ceylon sapphire, according to certificates from SSEF and Gübelin.