DiamondBuzz
Napoleon’s diamond brooch sells for $4.4m at Sotheby’s Geneva
A diamond brooch taken from Napoleon Bonaparte following his defeat by Prussian forces in 1815 has fetched $4.4 million at Sotheby’s Geneva—exceeding its highest pre-sale estimate by more than seventeen times.The piece, which converts into a pendant, showcases a 13.04-carat oval diamond encircled by nearly 100 old mine-cut diamonds set in two rings. Initial estimates had valued it between $150,000 and $250,000.
According to Sotheby’s, Napoleon was forced to leave behind several carriages, including one carrying valuable possessions, when they became mired in mud several miles from the Waterloo battlefield as he rushed to escape the combined British and Prussian forces that had defeated his army.
The brooch was given to Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III three days after the battle as a war trophy. It stayed within the Hohenzollern dynasty for generations, passing through various German emperors, before entering a different private collection in recent years.
Another Napoleonic treasure, a 132.66-ct green beryl which he is reported to have worn on his coronation mantle in 1804, was bought for $1m by a US museum – also for 17 times its high estimate.Both items were highlights of the Royal and Noble Sale, which raised a total of $14.3m.
Rio Tinto’s third and final Beyond Rare™ Tender, titled The Art Series: Into the Light, has concluded with strong global demand, securing the company’s place in the history of rare diamonds. The tender comes 40 years after the commissioning of the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia and 22 years after the start of operations at the Diavik mine in Canada.
The 2025 tender featured 52 lots totalling 45.44 carats, including six Masterpieces — carefully curated sets highlighting the pinnacle of production from Argyle and Diavik — alongside 39 single stones and seven matched sets. The Argyle pink, red, and violet diamonds came from the final legacy inventory, making them among the last of their kind.
Singapore-based Argyle Pink Diamonds Icon Partner™ Glajz THG, in collaboration with Scandinavian jeweller Hartmann’s, won the coveted Lot 1 consisting of two Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink pear shapes and a 5.11-carat Flawless D-colour Diavik emerald-cut diamond. “We are delighted to win these extraordinary masterpieces of nature and look forward to honouring the powerful provenance of the Argyle and Diavik mines,” said John Glajz, Managing Director of Glajz THG.
Patrick Coppens, General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Rio Tinto Diamonds, described the tender as a fitting finale: “Presenting this final collection is a wonderful epilogue to Rio Tinto’s inspiring story of mining and marketing diamonds. The world is still captivated by their beauty, exceptional rarity, and pure provenance.”
Since 1985, Rio Tinto has sold approximately 2,500 carats of rare pink, red, and blue polished Argyle diamonds — less than 0.0003% of the mine’s total production — through its annual tenders. With Argyle closed in 2020 and Diavik scheduled to close in 2026, the Beyond Rare™ legacy now enters the annals of diamond history.
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