Editor’s Note
A piece of history found its new owner this week as a diamond brooch once belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte sold at auction in Geneva. The jewel, lost after the Battle of Waterloo, fetched over $4 million.
A diamond brooch that once belonged to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and was presumably lost during his flight after the Battle of Waterloo in the early 19th century, was sold for more than 3.5 million Swiss francs (approximately $4.4 million) at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva on Wednesday.
The brooch, which can also be worn as a pendant, is set with an oval diamond of over 13 carats, surrounded by smaller diamonds.
According to Sotheby’s, this historic piece of jewelry was among the personal items Napoleon carried with him after Waterloo, along with medals, weapons, silverware, a hat, and a jewel casket containing dozens of loose diamonds.
The incident occurred when the French Emperor Napoleon fled hastily after a defeat. In the chaotic escape, the emperor had to abandon several immobile carriages, including the one transporting the valuable items.
The sale price far exceeded the initial estimate of 200,000 francs. The final hammer price was 2.85 million francs, with fees and premiums bringing the total to over 3.5 million Swiss francs.
Sotheby’s did not disclose the seller’s identity and stated that the buyer was a private collector.
According to Sotheby’s, the brooch, along with several other items, was presented as a war trophy to King Frederick William III of Prussia in 1815, just three days after the Battle of Waterloo.
These objects then remained for centuries in the collection of the Prussian Hohenzollern royal family before entering a private collection in recent years.
Additionally, a blue beryl weighing over 132 carats, believed to have been worn by Napoleon at his coronation in 1804, was offered at the auction.
This stone sold for 838,000 francs, seventeen times its original estimate.
