Sold by the Soviets, redesigned by Cartier: this is how the Romanov sapphire ended up at an auction in Geneva

Sotheby's is auctioning a 198-carat blue sapphire from the Romanov family, estimated at $2 million. The sapphire was sold by the Soviets and redesigned by Cartier. It has a rich history, possibly gifted from the British royal family, and was worn by Empress Maria Fyodorovna. After the Russian revolutions, the Soviets sold the crown jewels to fund their regime. The sapphire eventually reached opera singer Ganna Walska before returning to Cartier, which created a new bracelet design for it in 2015. The auction features around 80 historical jewels from European royal houses.