19/10/2026
💙✨ HISTORY MONDAY ✨💙
The Extraordinary 478-Carat Sapphire of Queen Marie of Romania
A royal jewel with an incredible history!
Weighing an astonishing 478.68 carats, this magnificent cushion-cut Ceylon sapphire was acquired from Cartier by King Ferdinand of Romania in 1922 as a coronation gift for his wife, Queen Marie.
Suspended from a spectacular diamond sautoir, the sapphire became one of the Queen’s most recognisable jewels and was immortalised in a beautiful 1924 portrait by artist Philip de László.
Following the fall of the Romanian monarchy, the sapphire eventually found its way into the collection of Queen Frederica of Greece, before disappearing from public view for decades.
In 2003, it resurfaced at Christie’s Geneva, where it sold for an extraordinary CHF 1.916 million!
Even more remarkable, the sapphire is of Sri Lankan origin and was certified as showing no indications of heat treatment.
Almost 479 carats of natural sapphire, two royal families and over a century of history. đź’™
What an extraordinary jewel!
Images: Christie’s / historical portraits of Queen Marie of Romania and the-Cartiers.com. Credits to respective photographers and rights holders.