Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

Sotheby’s says a diamond brooch lost by Napoleon as his forces fled Waterloo sells for $4.4 million

The brooch, lost by Napoleon at Waterloo and held by the Prussian royal house for 200 years, sold for $4.4 million, 17 times its pre-sale estimate.

  • At its Nov 12 Geneva auction, Sotheby's sold a diamond brooch Napoleon lost fleeing Waterloo, fetching over $4.4 million, far above the $250,000 estimate.
  • Prussian field marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher seized the jewel from abandoned carriages, and it was offered to Friedrich Wilhelm III, Prussian King, as a battle trophy on June 21, 1815.
  • The circular jewel, around 45mm in diameter, features a central oval diamond surrounded by nearly one hundred old diamonds and can be worn as a pendant.
  • The winning bid reached $4.4 million, purchased by a private collector, Sotheby's confirmed the seller's identity was not disclosed, far exceeding the roughly $250,000 pre-sale estimate.
  • Also going under the hammer is The Glowing Rose, a 10.08-carat vivid pink diamond estimated at $20 million, while Christie's will offer the 9.51-carat Mellon Blue amid renewed interest after last month's Louvre robbery.
Insights by Ground AI

75 Articles

Lean Left

The piece had an output price of $150,000

Lean Right

Very few are able to access these jewels, but we can all dream about them and the story they have behind them. The famous Sotheby’s auction house is preparing to celebrate next November 12th, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva, one of its most anticipated annual appointments, the bidding of the Royal & Noble Jewels. That is, the extraordinary pieces of jewelry that one day belonged to royal and noble families and that, after years in priva…

·Buenos Aires, Argentina
Read Full Article
Lean Right

A diamond-encrusted brooch lost by Napoleon during his escape from the Battle of Waterloo has sold at auction in Geneva for nearly €3.8 million, according to Sotheby's. The piece was initially expected to fetch between €130,000 and €220,000. Sotheby's reports that the buyer is a private collector. The identity of the collector has not been disclosed. The seller has also not been disclosed. The brooch, which can also be worn as a pendant, feature…

·Netherlands
Read Full Article
Lean Right

A diamond brooch and a large green gemstone that belonged to Napoleon were sold at auction in Geneva today for a price many times higher than expected.

·Belgrade, Serbia
Read Full Article
Right

A historic brooch by Napoleon Bonaparte has been auctioned in Geneva for the record sum of 3.79 million euros. The circular breast needle, which was made for Napoleon in 1810, has a diameter of about 45 millimetres. In the middle, a 13.04 carat diamond, surrounded by almost a hundred smaller diamonds, stands out. According to the auction house, the jewel was "presumably to adorn its two-pointed on special occasions."The jewel, which the French e…

·Vienna, Austria
Read Full Article
Lean Right

The circular jewel, about 45 mm in diameter, presents in its center a large oval diamond of 13.04 carats, surrounded by almost a hundred old diamonds cut at the mine, of various shapes and sizes.

·Paris, France
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 55% of the sources are Center
55% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

The Straits Times broke the news in Singapore on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal