The 197.80-carat unheated “Romanov Sapphire” traces a journey from Imperial Russia through the Soviet dramatic dispersal sales, to the collection of socialite Ganna Walska before entering the hands of Cartier, which created the mount it is currently set in. The piece will be offered at Sotheby’s Royal & Noble Jewels auction in Geneva on Nov. 11.
Geneva—A massive Ceylon sapphire linked to Russia’s Romanov dynasty will headline Sotheby’s upcoming Royal & Noble Jewels sale in Geneva.
The 197.80-carat unheated stone, known as the “Romanov Sapphire,” combines extraordinary size, rarity, and historical importance, Sotheby’s said.
It was once mounted by Fabergé and worn by Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna—the mother of Russia's last emperor, Nicholas II—at the Winter Palace Ball of 1903.
That celebration was regarded as “the last great spectacle of Imperial Russia” and was documented in historic images of the Romanov court, the auction house said.
The jewel is estimated to achieve CHF 850,000 to CHF 1,700,000 ($1 million to $2 million).
Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna at the Winter Palace Ball of 1903. The "Romanov Sapphire" can be seen on the front panel of her skirt in a pair, the second now lost, according to Sotheby’s.
Relatively few gemstones documented as belonging to the Russian Crown Jewels remain identifiable today, Sotheby’s said, making this jewel “one of the most significant surviving witnesses to the splendor of the Romanov dynasty.”
Following the emperor’s overthrow in 1917, the sapphire was catalogued in the Fersman inventory, an initiative by minerologist A.E. Fersman, along with other experts and jewelers, to catalogue Russia’s regalia and crown jewels post-revolution.
It later entered the Soviet government's dispersal sales of Imperial treasures.
The sapphire subsequently passed into the collection of opera singer, socialite, and collector Ganna Walska before being acquired by Cartier, which, in 2015, created the transformable bracelet mounting it is currently set in.
The auction, set to take place on Nov. 11, will feature about 80 treasures associated with some of Europe's most important ruling families.
A sapphire and diamond demi-parure, circa 1910, with provenance spanning several European royal dynasties, will also be on offer. It is estimated to fetch CHF 300,000 to CHF 500,000 ($360,000 to $610,000).
A necklace and pair of pendent earrings set with graduated cabochon sapphires and old European-, single-, and rose-cut diamonds, formerly in the collection of Swedish Princess Sibylla
The necklace was in the collection of Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Västerbotten (mother of the current Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf). It was a wedding gift to Princess Sibylla by Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria for her 1932 marriage to Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten.
According to family tradition, the sapphires previously belonged to Empress Maria Feodorovna, Sotheby’s noted.
Another highlight of the sale is a Cartier London transformable jewel that is a necklace, tiara, and a series of brooches featuring a rare suite of Australian black opals.
The jewel is a rare survivor from the golden age of Cartier London, Sotheby’s said, and embodies the glamour, craftsmanship, and pageantry of 20th-century British aristocratic society.
At left, a Cartier London transformable diamond and black opal tiara, created in the 1930s. At right, Emerald Fennell wearing the jewel as a necklace at the London premiere of "Wuthering Heights" in February.
It was created in the late 1930s for Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, who wore it in her role as Mistress of the Robes at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
The jewel made another public appearance earlier this year, worn by director Emerald Fennell on the red carpet at the London premiere of the film "Wuthering Heights."
It is estimated to achieve CHF 780,000 to CHF 1,100,000 ($950,000 to $1.3 million).
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Sotheby’s will also offer a diamond tiara by Mellerio dits Meller.
It was first exhibited at the International Exhibition of 1862 and two years later, acquired by Antoine d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier. He gifted it to his daughter Marie Isabelle d'Orléans for her marriage to Philippe d'Orléans, Count of Paris and claimant to the French throne.
The jewel subsequently descended through generations of the family. It is estimated to sell for CHF 300,000 to CHF 500,000 ($360,000 to $610,000).
A 19th-cenutry diamond tiara by Parisian jeweler Mellerio dits Meller
Queen Amélie of Portugal’s Colombian emerald brooch, left, and Colombian emerald bangle, right
Also a highlight are two emerald pieces, presented together, from Queen Amélie of Portugal, the last Queen Consort of Portugal.
The jewels comprise an emerald and diamond bangle centering a 27.38-carat Colombian cabochon emerald alongside an emerald and diamond brooch featuring Colombian emeralds of “exceptional color and scale,” Sotheby’s said.
The bangle and brooch each have a pre-sale estimate of CHF 70,000 to CHF 100,000 ($85,000 to $121,000).
Amélie survived the Lisbon Regicide of 1908, in which King Carlos I and Crown Prince Luís Filipe were assassinated, before being exiled after the fall of the Portuguese monarchy in 1910.
She was one of the “most compelling royal figures of modern European history,” celebrated for her dignity, resilience, and commitment to charitable causes, Sotheby’s said.
There is also a sapphire, emerald, and diamond toi et moi ring formerly owned by Catherine, Lady Walston, a prominent British society figure widely regarded as the inspiration for Sarah Miles, the heroine of Graham Greene's 1951 novel “The End of the Affair.”
The ring, set with a 7.83-carat unheated Kashmir sapphire and a 6.77-carat Colombian emerald, is estimated to achieve CHF 350,000 to CHF 500,000 ($425,000 to $610,000).
“The extraordinary success of our Royal & Noble Jewels sales reflects collectors' enduring fascination with jewels that combine exceptional gemstones, craftsmanship, and history,” said Andres White Correal, Sotheby’s chairman of jewelry for Europe and Middle East and head of Noble Jewels.
“This season's auction is led by rare treasures associated with some of Europe's most important imperial and royal families, from the Romanovs to the Houses of Orléans and Braganza, each offering a unique window into history.”
The upcoming auction follows three consecutive white-glove Royal & Noble Jewels sales at Sotheby’s Geneva.
The full catalogue is available on Sotheby's website.
