A sapphire from the Romanov treasure sold for $4.9 million at a Sotheby's auction.
The gem, weighing almost 198 carats, went under the hammer for more than twice the upper limit of the initial estimate.
A sapphire adorns a bracelet made of diamonds and rock crystal. In 1883, it was part of a pair of brooches worn by Empress Maria Feodorovna to a costume ball at the Winter Palace.
In 1927, the Polish opera singer Hana Walska purchased the stone for her necklace. Later, the jewelry was remade several times, and the sapphire was again offered for auction.