At Sotheby’s Geneva auction, Napoleon’s brooch sold for $4.3 million.
Napoleon’s pendant brooch, which the French emperor wore on his bicorne hat on special occasions, sold for $4.3 million at Sotheby’s Geneva. The auction was won by one of four bidders who initiated bidding via telephone, online, and in person. The price ultimately exceeded the low estimate by 30 times. Overall, Sotheby’s Geneva sales for the fall season grossed $51.3 million.
At the heart of the sales was Sotheby’s Royal and Noble auction, held each November and the only one of its kind in the world, which closed with $14.3 million in sales. The Royal and Noble Sale also featured another Napoleonic jewel, a historically significant, unmounted, cushion-shaped green beryl weighing 132.66 carats, said to have been worn by Napoleon on his ermine-lined crimson velvet coronation mantle. Acquired by a U.S. museum bidding online, the precious gem fetched an astonishing price for a beryl: $1 million, more than 25 times its low estimate. Other highlights included a pink diamond ring, once owned by Empress Catherine I of Russia, most recently in the private collection of Princess Neslishah-Sultan (1921–2012), one of the last Grand Princesses of the Ottoman Empire: it fetched 12 times its low estimate at $3.6 million.
Among the highlights of tonight’s auction, it would be remiss not to mention the extraordinary result of the Napoleon brooch, which exceeded our expectations. Yet I am equally moved by the fact that, among the most dazzling royal jewels, we were able to present and find a new home for something as modest yet historically significant as the embroidery that served as a sample in the creation of Queen Elizabeth II’s illustrious coronation gown, designed by Norman Hartnell in 1952. There is also the extraordinary result of over $3.6 million for a light pink diamond ring that captivates us with over 300 years of traceable noble history. It is second in value only to the famous Mazarin light pink diamond, once part of the French crown jewels.
Andres White Correal, President of Jewellery Europe and Middle East, Head of Royal and Noble
In addition to historic jewels, the Sotheby’s auction included high-end jewelry, which generated a total of $36.9 million, with 94% of the lots sold, 98% of which were above their low estimate and over 75% above their high estimate. The auction featured a special collection of nearly 40 pieces, centered on Cartier, which belonged to Antje-Katrin Kühnemann (1945–2025), the first female doctor ever to appear on German television, who nurtured a passion for jewelry. In addition to Cartier, her collection included jewels by Sabadini and pieces by De Grisogono, all of which achieved excellent results at auction: overall, the collection sold for $15.5 million, double its overall low estimate. Another group of exquisite jewels from a significant private collection composed exclusively of Van Cleef & Arpels pieces has far surpassed its estimate.
With three-quarters of the lots in our High Jewelry sale far exceeding their highest estimates and an exceptionally high sales rate, we continue to be pleased to see an extraordinarily robust jewelry market. High-quality colored gemstones, particularly those created by major houses like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, are achieving exceptional results. At this auction, yellow diamonds truly won the hearts of collectors, selling in a variety of forms, from necklaces and rings to earrings. Rubies also achieved exceptional results, and we were delighted to see de Grisogono, a brand with a beautifully distinctive aesthetic, achieve such strong results.
Jessica Wyndham, Head of Magnificent Jewels, Sotheby’s Geneva
