Historic Napoleon Broche Shatters Expectations at Geneva Auction
A diamond-encrusted broche that Napoleon Bonaparte lost during his frantic escape after the Battle of Waterloo has been sold at auction in Geneva for a staggering €3.8 million - far exceeding pre-sale estimates of €130,000-€220,000. The historic piece was auctioned by Sotheby's, one of the world's leading auction houses.
The Waterloo Connection
The broche, which can also be worn as a pendant, features a central oval diamond weighing over 13 carats surrounded by smaller cut diamonds. According to Sotheby's historical records, the jewel was discovered among Napoleon's personal belongings in carriages that became stuck in mud during his desperate flight from British and Prussian forces after his decisive defeat at Waterloo on June 18, 1815.
'The broche represents a tangible connection to one of history's most dramatic moments,' said a Sotheby's spokesperson. 'For over two centuries, it remained part of the Prussian royal House of Hohenzollern's inheritance before coming to auction.'
Surprising Auction Results
The anonymous private collector who purchased the broche wasn't the only bidder making headlines. A massive green beryl stone weighing over 132 carats, which Napoleon reportedly wore during his coronation in 1804, sold for approximately €873,000 - more than seventeen times its highest pre-auction estimate.
A diamond expert told Associated Press: 'Given the recent theft of Napoleonic jewels from the Louvre in Paris and renewed global fascination with Napoleonic jewelry, I'm not surprised the broche achieved a majestic €3.8 million.'
Napoleon's Enduring Legacy
This isn't the first time Napoleon's personal items have commanded extraordinary prices at auction. In June 2025, various private possessions of the French emperor were sold for millions, including a sauce-stained sleeve from his red velvet coat, tableware, swords, his wife Joséphine's dressing table, and their divorce papers.
Napoleon Bonaparte remains one of Europe's most influential historical figures. The French general crowned himself emperor in 1804 and controlled vast territories across Europe, including the Netherlands. His reign, while marked by authoritarian rule and millions of casualties, also introduced significant reforms like the cadastre system and mandatory surnames.
The Battle of Waterloo marked the final defeat of Napoleon's forces and ended his brief return to power during the Hundred Days. The battle near Waterloo, then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and now in Belgium, saw Napoleon's Imperial Army defeated by the Seventh Coalition forces under the Duke of Wellington and Field Marshal Blücher.
As one historian noted: 'These artifacts aren't just valuable objects - they're pieces of history that connect us directly to the dramatic events that shaped modern Europe.'