A sapphire from the Romanov collection was sold at auction for 411 million rubles.
The lot was raised in Geneva as part of the "Jewelry of royalty and nobility" auction. The 197.8 carat stone adorns a wide geometric bracelet made of diamonds and rock crystal. It was designed by Cartier. Initially, the organizers estimated the sapphire at 850 thousand - 1.7 million Swiss francs (up to 170 million rubles). But they sold at a record $4.9 million (411 million rubles).
According to the Standard Gazette, relatively few pieces of jewelry from the Russian imperial dynasty have been reliably preserved today, making this sapphire one of the most important gems from the Romanov period.