Exotic diamonds and gems of Russian royalty auctioned 0:42
(Reuters) -
A set of Russian royal jewelery smuggled out of the country during the 1917 revolution, along with rare colored diamonds, will go up for auction next week in Geneva, in search of wealthy collectors.
A 25.62-carat pink-orange diamond, worth an estimated 3.6 to 5.38 million Swiss francs (US $ 3.9 to 5.9 million), set in a ring, is the star of the Sotheby's auction house jewelery biannual sale in the Swiss city on November 10.
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"A beautiful crystal, it's a fantastic color with a little orange but not too much so it's a very subtle color," Olivier Wagner, sales manager and jewelery expert at Sotheby's Geneva, told Reuters in the showroom. of a hotel by the lake.
"The market is currently very dynamic and after the pandemic people are very interested in buying jewelry today and in buying something tangible that they can enjoy."
For historical gem collectors, a large oval sapphire and diamond brooch and matching earrings from the jeweler of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, aunt of the late Russian Emperor Nicholas II, is back on the market.
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A sapphire and diamond brooch and a pair of earrings dating from around 1900. Credit: Robert Hradil / Getty Images
"They belonged to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, who was the queen of social life in St. Petersburg. She was the wife of Grand Duke Vladimir, son of the Tsar (Alexander II), and had an incredible jewelry collection," explains Wagner .
The set of royal jewels, entrusted to his friend UK diplomat Albert Henry Stopford, who brought them to London for safekeeping along with other jewels, is estimated at 280,000-480,000 francs, the auction house said.
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Pavlovna escaped from revolutionary Russia and died in France in 1920. Her brooch and earrings are sold by a European princely family who bought them at auction in 2009, the auction house said.
Sotheby's extends its luxury week with the online sale “Fashion Through Time”, aimed at younger collectors, in which the lots include bags that belonged to movie stars Grace Kelly and Jane Birkin, and the sneakers worn by late NBA star Kobe Bryant.
His size 14 yellow and black Nikes are estimated at 25,000-35,000 Swiss francs.
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