A blue sapphire bracelet from the heirlooms of the Russian Tsars is sold for an amount exceeding expectations.. How much did it cost?

A historic bracelet studded with blue sapphires, linked to the jewels of the Romanov imperial family in Russia, fetched about $4.9 million at an auction held by Sotheby's Auction House in the Swiss capital, Geneva, far exceeding the highest estimates that preceded its display.

In the middle of the bracelet is a blue sapphire stone weighing 197.80 carats, surrounded by geometric details studded with diamonds, designed by the French house “Cartier”. Initial estimates of its value ranged from $1.02 million to $2.04 million.

Sobe's described it as an exceptional ruby ​​stone in the Romanov family's collection, noting that the possessions of the Russian Tsars are among the most prominent and valuable royal collections.

Great historical value

The importance of the stone is due to its connection to the history of the family that ruled Russia for more than three centuries, and was the last imperial family to assume the Russian throne, until its rule ended in 1917.

It is not known exactly when the ruby entered the Romanov collection, but it appeared in a historical photograph alongside a similar stone affixed to the front of a skirt worn by Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna during a ball in 1883, according to auction data.

After the Russian Revolution, the Soviet authorities began selling the family's belongings during the 1920s. In 1927, ownership of the stone passed to a Russian socialite named Zhanna Walska, and it was then mounted in a necklace, then re-installed in a shorter necklace, before it was sold as part of Walska’s collection in 1971.

In 2015, Cartier redesigned the piece and installed a ruby stone in the bracelet in its current form, which includes an interchangeable central rock crystal section. The design combines the historical value of the stone with the geometric features associated with the Art Deco style.

This was not the first sale of jewelry associated with the Romanov family at Sotheby's; In 2021, a brooch studded with rubies and diamonds, along with matching earrings, was sold for $883,600, recording nearly double the upper limit of previous estimates.