The last tsarina's jewel has been sold. The Romanovs' sapphire went for a fortune
A unique gem weighing 197.80 carats, once belonging to Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, was acquired by a private collector.
Quick Look
- In Switzerland, a bracelet with a historic Romanov Sapphire was sold at auction for $4.9 million.
- The stone weighing 197.80 carats belonged to Tsarina Maria Feodorovna and witnessed the last great ball of the Russian Empire in 1903.
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Why It Matters
The sapphire comes from the Mughal Empire and was part of the jewelry collection of the Imperial Romanov family. After the 1917 revolution, it was taken over by the Soviet authorities and sold at auction in the 1920s.
A diamond-studded bracelet with a heptagonal sapphire weighing as much as 197.80 carats was sold at an auction in Switzerland for $4.9 million (over PLN 19,557,600 - ed.). It is a unique gemstone known as the Romanov Sapphire.
A jewel from the last great ball of the Russian Empire
The sapphire being auctioned has an extraordinary history. The stone is believed to have originated in the Mughal Empire, from where it found its way into the tsar's jewelry collection. Among historians and gem experts, it is considered one of the most important surviving gemstones of the Russian court.
The extraordinary value of sapphire results not only from its impressive mass and deep blue color, but also from its rich, documented past. The stone was part of jewelry belonging to Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, mother of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II. It was she who wore it during the famous Ball in the Winter Palace in 1903, which - as experts emphasize - "is widely considered to be the last great spectacle of the Russian Empire."
The revolution changed his fate. The Soviets sold off the assets of the tsars
After the outbreak of the Russian Revolution in 1917, the fate of the tsar's jewels took a dramatic turn. The Soviet authorities seized the treasures of the Romanov family and then gradually sold them at international auctions to raise funds to maintain their state. The sapphire was recorded in the inventory and was sold for sale in the 1920s.
The next owner of the unusual stone was Ganna Walska (born Hanna Puacz - an American opera singer of Polish origin - ed.), who purchased it in 1927. Then the sapphire was set on a necklace.
In later years, the stone underwent several more metamorphoses - in the 1970s it was placed on another, shorter necklace, and in 2015 it was placed by Cartier on a diamond bracelet, on which it could be admired during this year's auction.
Who bought the famous Sapphire of the Romanovs?
The identity of the bracelet's new owner remains unknown. All we know is that it is a private collector who submitted the winning bid during Wednesday's auction.
Open Questions
- Who is the new owner of the jewel?
