Agency Report

A sapphire and diamond brooch and matching earrings, which were part of the royal jewels from Russia’s Romanov family smuggled out of the country during the 1917 revolution, sold for 806,500 Swiss francs ($883,641.94) on Wednesday, Sotheby’s said.

The price netted for the historic set at the Geneva auction was nearly twice the high-end of the pre-sale estimate, it said.

The buyer, bidding by telephone, chose to remain anonymous, Sotheby’s spokesperson Hanae Rebelo said.

The large oval brooch and earclips had belonged to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, wife of Grand Duke Vladimir. She was also the aunt of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.