A diamond pin of his Napoleon Bonapartespoils of the Prussian army at Waterloo, sold at auction in Geneva for 3.79 million euros, the house announced Sotheby’s on Wednesday (12.11.2025).
The price for this historic jewel, Napoleon Bonaparte’s diamond brooch, exceeded all expectations, with Sotheby’s estimate ranging between 130,000 and 220,000 euros.
The pin was one of the personal effects that Napoleon was forced to leave behind when he fled his plain Waterlooin present-day Belgium, after his forces were crushed by British and Prussian troops in 1815.
The pin, approximately 45mm in diameter, is dominated by a large 13.04 carat oval diamond that is surrounded by nearly 100 smaller diamonds of various shapes and sizes.
The jewel was made for Napoleon around 1810, “probably to adorn his hat on special occasions,” the auction house explains.
Three days after his battle WaterlooNapoleon’s diamond brooch was offered as a trophy to Basil Frederick William III of Prussia.