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Smuggled Romanov royal jewels net nearly Sh100 million

A historically valuable sapphire and diamond brooch and a pair of ear clips during a preview at Sotheby's, before their auction sale in Geneva (Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

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 (Sh98m) 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.

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