Sapphire and diamond jewelry that were smuggled out of Russia during the 1917 revolution has sold at auction for an eye-watering $879,000 (£654,765).
The very luxurious lot hit the auction block at Sotheby’s in Geneva today, and included a sapphire and diamond brooch and matching ear clips that had previously belonged to a woman nicknamed ‘The Queen of St. Petersburg.
The gems were part of the extensive collection of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, whose friend dismantled them and snuck them out of Russia hidden in old pieces of newspaper in 1917.
The brooch includes a 26.80 ct. sapphire surrounded by cushion-shaped and rose diamonds, while the the ear clips are made with step-cut sapphires — weighing 6.69 and 9.36 carats — and are surrounded by rose-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds.
Sold Sapphire and diamond jewelry that were smuggled out of Russia during the 1917 revolution has sold at auction for an eye-watering $879,000 (£654,765)
Glitzy and glamorous: Today’s auction at Sotheby’s Geneva featured a very exclusive lot that included a sapphire-diamond brooch as well matching earclips.
Her gems: They had previously belonged to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, nicknamed ‘The Queen of St Petersburg’
The Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna was born Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and went on to marry the second son of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, in 1874.
He was his aunt.
Maria Pavlovna is well-known for her jewelry, which included the modern sapphire pieces. And as the Russian Revolution ramped up, she made a plan to escape — and save her collection.
In the Caucasus she first visited her summer villa at Kislovodsk.
Then her friend Albert Henry Stopford, a British antiques dealer and aristocrat, disguised himself in workman’s clothes and turned up to Vladimir Palace, where he was let in by Maria’s son Boris and a servant.
Stopford collected Maria’s prized jewels — 244 pieces in all — and dismantled them, wrapping them up in pieces of old newspaper and securing them away in a pair of Gladstone bags.
Prices: The price is high. It includes a 26.80ct. sapphire, surrounded and cushion-shaped rose diamonds and the earrings clips with step-cut sapphires that weigh 6.69 and 9.36 respectively. They are also surrounded and protected by rose-cut diamonds and cushion-shaped ones
Royal: The Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna was born Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and went on to marry the second son of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, in 1874
It was saved: Her friend took the jewelry and dismantled them, hidden it in a newspaper and sneaked it into England during the Russian Revolution.
They were carried out by Albert Henry Stopford (a British antiques dealer, and aristocrat) who was able to smuggle in the jewels
He then made a three-night train trip to meet Maria in Caucasus.
His diary contained the following: KISLOVODSK. In her cabinet de travail, the grand Duchess welcomed me and then we tallied up all of the money that I bought in Petrograd. She had never before seen it in revolutionary million rouble notes.
He soon left for Sweden, Scotland, and finally England, whisking the jewelry away to safety and depisiting them in a bank.
It was amazing how timing worked out for him. Maria sent him a note after Maria left Maria explaining that the Committee of Workmen and Soldiers arrived at Maria’s house at 2.30 AM and stayed until 6. They searched, opened, and turned everything upside down.
Maria wouldn’t head west for two more years, spending the rest of 1917 and part of 1918 in Caucasus before traveling to Anapa, near the Black Sea, in 1918. There she stayed 14 months before finally leaving for Italy in February 1919. She was the last Romanov who escaped Russia.
In July she made it to Paris, but was never able to catch up with the jewels of London.
What happened? He disguised himself as a workman and went to Vladimir Palace. Maria’s daughter Boris allowed him into the palace. A servant also let him in.
Maria was not able to travel further west for at least two more years. She died in Paris soon after she arrived. The jewelry was not reunited with her, and was handed down to her daughter.
Maria’s jewelry was passed on to her daughter, Princess Elena of Greece and Denmark, and then continued to be passed down to other family.
Some sold it to support themselves — which is how Queen Elizabeth eventually came to own a tiara from Maria’s collection, the Vladimir Tiara.
It was purchased by Queen Mary and, according to Tatler, repaired and upgraded with 15 emeralds. It was updated in 1988.
Pendant ce temps, the matching brooch has been sold at 806,500 CHF. It is their first sale since 2009.
They were only estimated to fetch between 280,000 and 480,000 CHF.
Olivier Wagner is the Sotheby’s Geneva head of jewelry sales. He said that he rarely sees jewelry with more historical provenances than these beautiful sapphire or diamond pieces.
Get yours today! Some of the jewelry was later sold, which is how Queen Elizabeth eventually came to own a tiara from Maria’s collection, the Vladimir Tiara
Queen Mary purchased it and had 15 emeralds repaired and added to it. In 1988, the frame was updated once more.
“Theirs is an extraordinary survival. They made it from one of the Romanov palaces out of revolutionary Russia and across war-torn Europe to the vaults at a London bank.
She is often referred to by the title “The Queen St. Petersburg”, but the grand duchess was an eminent figure who managed to retain all the glory of her era during the revolution.
“Here’s a look into the long-forgotten jewel box of my friend, who bravely fled Russia to get it.
Sotheby’s has also pointed out that some of the jewelry bears manufacturer’s marks. Sophia Schwan is probably for Bolin and St Petersburg as well as Russian Assay Marks.
These items come in a Cartier case that has been stamped with King of the Hellenes, the Crown of the Royal House of Greece.