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

GENEVA (AP) — A diamond brooch that French emperor Napoleon lost while fleeing from the Battle of Waterloo in the early 19th century sold for more than 3.5 million Swiss francs (about $4.4 million) at a Geneva auction on Wednesday, Sotheby’s said.

The brooch, which can also be worn as a pendant, features an oval diamond weighing over 13 carats surrounded by smaller cut diamonds. The sale price vastly outstripped the high end of the pre-sale estimate of 200,000 francs. • A Sotheby’s employee displays a green beryl, over 132 carats, which Napoleon was said to have worn at his 1804 coronation, during a preview at Sotheby’s in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday Nov. 6, 2025. The jewel sold for a hammer price of 838,000 francs. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP) • A Sotheby’s employee displays