Lot Essay
Many articles have been written on large sapphires in Royal and other important collections. Stones of over 100 carats will feature in several, but the quality and size of this sapphire make comparisons difficult to find. An extract form the inventory of the Crown Jewels of Iran states that there are realtively few in the collection but three were worthy of special note, the largest weighing 191.58 carats. The Diamond Treasury in the Kremlin museum, possesses a magnificent cornflower blue sapphire from the old Russian Royal regalia weighing 250 carats. Another large Russian sapphire is one that bears the name of Catherine the Great and by an astonishing coincidence not only is it the same shape as the one now being offered, but also weighs 337 carats.
Sapphires of this size, colour and clarity are extremely rare and it is hard to believe that the two stones could not be the same. We only know they are different because in 1951 Harry Winston owned Catherine the Great's sapphire and the stone now being sold was mounted forty years earlier and has not left the family's ownership until now.
There are only a few sapphires recorded that are larger than this stone and one of them, amusingly named "Peter the Great's nose" is a huge cabochon sapphire of 548 carats which is now the Green Vault at Dresden.
In 1919, Cartier exhibited the world's largest cut sapphire, weighing 478 carats which was mounted as the pendant to a sautoir. Numerous monarchs and heads of state expressed an interest in the gem but it was King Ferdinand of Romania who purchased it for his consort, Queen Maria. Up until now, she had not wanted to purchase jewellery as nothing in her collection had matched the pieces belonging to her mother the Duchess of Saxe Coburg-Gotha. However the sautoir was a wonderful match for the sapphire tiara the Queen had bought from Grand Duchess Vladimir after she had left Russia.
The magnificent sapphire now being offered for sale must rank as one of the most prestigious coloured gems to have come on the market for many years. The present owners family were long standing clients of Cartier and therefore it would seem natural that they mounted it at the beginning of this century particularly as this was a time when great transactions and masterful creations were almost the preserve of the firm. This gem is worthy of any leading collection as so few stones of this colour and size are recorded.
Famous sapphires :
Peter the Great's Nose, Green Vault at Dresden 548 cts. The Star of India, American Museum of Natural History 536 cts. Cushion-shaped sapphire, Queen of Romania 478 cts. The Logan Sapphire, Smithonian Institute, Washington 423 cts. The present stone 377.66 cts. Cushion-shaped sapphire, Catherine the Great of Russia 337 cts. Star sapphire, Grand Duke Kyril of Russia 311 cts. Oval sapphire, Diamond Treasury, Kremlin 250 cts. Pear-shaped sapphire, Green Vault at Dresden 194.5 cts. Cabochon sapphire, Crown Jewels of Iran 191.58 cts. Oval sapphire, Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia 162 cts. Rectangular sapphire, Crown Jewels of Iran 141.9 cts. Cushion-shaped sapphire, Queen of Romania 137 cts.
Sapphires of this size, colour and clarity are extremely rare and it is hard to believe that the two stones could not be the same. We only know they are different because in 1951 Harry Winston owned Catherine the Great's sapphire and the stone now being sold was mounted forty years earlier and has not left the family's ownership until now.
There are only a few sapphires recorded that are larger than this stone and one of them, amusingly named "Peter the Great's nose" is a huge cabochon sapphire of 548 carats which is now the Green Vault at Dresden.
In 1919, Cartier exhibited the world's largest cut sapphire, weighing 478 carats which was mounted as the pendant to a sautoir. Numerous monarchs and heads of state expressed an interest in the gem but it was King Ferdinand of Romania who purchased it for his consort, Queen Maria. Up until now, she had not wanted to purchase jewellery as nothing in her collection had matched the pieces belonging to her mother the Duchess of Saxe Coburg-Gotha. However the sautoir was a wonderful match for the sapphire tiara the Queen had bought from Grand Duchess Vladimir after she had left Russia.
The magnificent sapphire now being offered for sale must rank as one of the most prestigious coloured gems to have come on the market for many years. The present owners family were long standing clients of Cartier and therefore it would seem natural that they mounted it at the beginning of this century particularly as this was a time when great transactions and masterful creations were almost the preserve of the firm. This gem is worthy of any leading collection as so few stones of this colour and size are recorded.
Famous sapphires :
Peter the Great's Nose, Green Vault at Dresden 548 cts. The Star of India, American Museum of Natural History 536 cts. Cushion-shaped sapphire, Queen of Romania 478 cts. The Logan Sapphire, Smithonian Institute, Washington 423 cts. The present stone 377.66 cts. Cushion-shaped sapphire, Catherine the Great of Russia 337 cts. Star sapphire, Grand Duke Kyril of Russia 311 cts. Oval sapphire, Diamond Treasury, Kremlin 250 cts. Pear-shaped sapphire, Green Vault at Dresden 194.5 cts. Cabochon sapphire, Crown Jewels of Iran 191.58 cts. Oval sapphire, Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia 162 cts. Rectangular sapphire, Crown Jewels of Iran 141.9 cts. Cushion-shaped sapphire, Queen of Romania 137 cts.