A diamond brooch, lost by French Emperor Napoleon during his escape from the Battle of Waterloo in the early 19th century, was sold at a Geneva auction on Wednesday for more than 3.5 million Swiss francs (about $4.4 million), Sotheby's reported, writes UNN with reference to AP.
Details
The brooch, which can also be worn as a pendant, is adorned with an oval diamond weighing over 13 carats, surrounded by smaller cut diamonds. The sale price significantly exceeded the upper limit of the preliminary estimate of 200,000 francs.
The hammer price was 2.85 million francs, excluding commissions and other costs included in the final value.
The round gemstone was found among Napoleon's personal belongings in carriages stuck on muddy roads as he and his troops fled from the British forces of the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal von Blücher, Sotheby's reported.
For over two centuries, these jewels have been part of the family heirlooms of the Prussian royal house of Hohenzollern. Sotheby's did not disclose the identity of the seller, stating that the buyer was a "private collector."
Among dozens of lots at the auction was a green beryl weighing over 132 carats, which Napoleon is said to have worn during his coronation in 1804. The gemstone was sold at auction for 838,000 francs, more than 17 times its preliminary estimate.
One diamond expert noted that the auction gained additional appeal after the high-profile Louvre robbery in Paris last month, during which Napoleonic jewels were stolen.
"Given the recent Louvre robbery and the provenance of perhaps the most famous French figure in history, I'm not surprised the jewel went for 3.5 million francs," said Tobias Cormind, managing director of online jeweler 77 Diamonds. "This brooch has appeared at a time of renewed global interest in Napoleonic jewels, and its history is unparalleled."
On Wednesday, Sotheby's also held a "high jewelry" auction, but even before it began, it announced that the main lot - a 10-carat pink diamond, previously known as the "Glowing Rose" - had been withdrawn from sale.
The auction house later stated that the lot had been withdrawn "after negotiations with the seller" (owner), without going into details. The gemstone was expected to sell for approximately $20 million. Its owner was not identified.