Russian empress's 197-carat sapphire sells for $4.9m, beats $2m estimate
A 197-carat sapphire once owned by Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna sold at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva for $4.9 million. The final price significantly exceeded the initial $2 million estimate, highlighting the market's interest in historical royal artifacts.
Why it matters
The sale demonstrates the enduring high-value market for provenance-rich historical items among global collectors.
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…
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