Romanov sapphire sold for more than 4.1 million Swiss francs at Sotheby's

A nearly 198‑carat sapphire believed to have belonged to the Romanov imperial family fetched more than 4.1 million Swiss francs at auction, Sotheby's announced. The stone was mounted in a ring set with diamonds and attracted strong bidding before selling to a private collector whose identity was not disclosed.

Provenance and early history

The sapphire is documented as having been worn by Empress Marija Fjodorovna at a ball in the Winter Palace in 1903. Although the precise moment when the gem entered the imperial collection is not recorded, experts point to its exceptional style of cutting as an indication that it may date from the Mughal empire era.

After the revolution the jewel was removed from the imperial holdings and later sold by the Soviet government. In 1927 the sapphire was purchased by the opera singer Gana Valska at the Cartier jewellery house, where it was reset as a pendant on a long necklace.

Sotheby's described the sapphire as a rare gemstone, underlining both its unusual size—just under 198 carats—and its documented ties to the Romanov court. The auction result reflects collectors' sustained interest in gemstones with clear historic provenance.

Details about the buyer were limited to the auction house's statement that the purchaser was a private collector. No further information about the purchaser's identity or future plans for the piece was released.

The sale adds a notable chapter to the sapphire's long provenance, which spans imperial Russia, Soviet-era dispersal of treasures and subsequent passage into private hands in the 20th century.

Photo: press material from the event