On November 16, the Sotheby’s auction house in Geneva will be putting some beautiful jewelry on the block as part of its Magnificent Jewels & Noble Jewels sale. As the name suggests, the auction will feature pieces of prominence that are not only rare but also of significance. While the full collection is currently on its way to New York for an exhibition before the auction, there are a few lots that have caught our attention.

From Russia with love, comes two pieces of jewelry that are linked to Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. As two of Russia’s most important and best known leaders, it comes as no surprise that they were in possession of such fine pieces. The first is a elegant diamond necklace that is fastened with a delicate bowknot clasp (above). While it is said that the Empress Catherine II (also known to us today as ‘the Great’) had commissioned it as two separate pieces, the jewel has survived centuries and even World Wars hidden away in the Kremlin. At the auction, the jewel is expected to fetch more than $3 million.

The second of the two is said to be one of the most important parures of antique colored diamond jewels (above) to go under the hammer in the last five decades. The parure once played an important role in ending the Pruth River Campaign, possibly the so-called bribe that saved Peter the Great’s army from a crushing defeat at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Later, in the hands of the ill-fated Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the necklace in its present form was gifted to the wife of the Teufik of Egypt for what is thought to be the birth of the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan.

“These two stunning jewels carry with them a fascinating insight into the luxury and opulence of the Russian court,” said David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division. He added “It is difficult to overstate their rarity and historical importance, and I am thrilled to be able to present them side by side this autumn.”

The final piece that we take a closer look at before the sale is ‘The Sky Blue Diamond’ (above) from Cartier that sits in the center. Measuring in at 8.01 carats, the rare fancy blue diamond is one that many diamond aficionados would love to own thanks to its rare hue. With an estimated value of $15 to 25 million, Sotheby’s is waiting with bated breath to find out of the gem will help it set a new world record for a third time in two years. The auction house previously set the bar for auction prices of blue diamonds with the Blue Moon of Josephine that was sold for a whopping $48.5 million or $4 million per carat (mind the currency fluctuations, which have raised the price in USD quite significantly.

The Magnificent Jewels & Nobel Jewels Collection will make its was to New York for an exhibition from November 4 to 6 and then to Geneva from November 12 to 16.