Napoleon’s Diamond Brooch and Rare Gemstones to Headline Geneva Auction

Napoleon’s Diamond Brooch and Rare Gemstones to Headline Geneva Auction

A dazzling collection of historic and high-value diamonds worth tens of millions of dollars is set to go under the hammer in Geneva next week, including a diamond brooch once owned by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

The extraordinary jewel, encrusted with old mine-cut diamonds and valued between $150,000 and $250,000, will headline Sotheby’s Royal & Noble Jewels Sale on November 12, 2025.

The circular brooch, measuring about 45 millimetres in diameter, features a 13.04-carat oval-cut central diamond surrounded by nearly 100 smaller diamonds of various shapes and sizes.

A Jewel Seized After Waterloo

According to Sotheby’s, the brooch was created for Napoleon around 1810 and was among the personal possessions he carried during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. When the French emperor fled the battlefield after defeat by British and Prussian forces, several of his carriages became stuck in the mud, forcing him to abandon his treasures.

The Prussian army later recovered the jewel and presented it as a war trophy to King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia on June 21, 1815, three days after the battle.

Pink and Blue Diamonds Also on Offer

In addition to Napoleon’s historic brooch, the auction will feature a 10.08-carat vivid pink diamond known as “The Glowing Rose,” estimated to fetch around $20 million. Sotheby’s described the gem as of exceptional quality, highlighting its extremely rare luminous and pure pink colour.

A day before Sotheby’s event, rival auction house Christie’s will offer another show-stopping gem — a 9.51-carat vivid blue diamond named “The Mellon Blue,” expected to sell for up to $30 million.

The diamond, set in a pendant, once belonged to Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon, a renowned American philanthropist, art collector, and horticulturalist. It was last seen publicly in 2014 when it sold in New York for over $32 million following her death.

Record-Breaking Expectations

Tobias Kormind, head of Europe’s largest online diamond retailer 77 Diamonds, noted that “The Mellon Blue” could break the record for the world’s highest price per carat for a blue diamond. The current record — $4.1 million per carat — is held by the Blue Moon of Josephine, which sold for $48 million in 2015.

With its mix of royal history and rare gemstones, Geneva’s November auctions are expected to draw intense global attention from collectors and investors alike.

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