The most prestigious jewelry auction of the year is fast approaching. On November 12, 2025, in Geneva, Sotheby’s auction house will present the “Royal & Noble Jewels” collection – a set of extraordinary jewelry pieces of royal and aristocratic origin. Among them is a true historical gem – Napoleon Bonaparte’s brooch, listed in the catalog as item number 665.
This event will bring together the world of jewelers, collectors, and art historians. Each of the items presented has not only material value, but also spiritual value – it is a fragment of European history, enchanted in diamonds, pearls, and gold.
The catalog of this year’s edition of “Royal & Noble Jewels” is a feast for lovers of classics. It contains dozens of items with impressive pedigrees: diamond necklaces, brooches, parures, tiaras, and rings decorated with rubies, sapphires, and turquoises. Many of them were created in the 19th century – an era when jewelry was a symbol of power and taste, and each stone told the story of its owner. Some of the jewels come from the private collections of royal families, while others have witnessed groundbreaking moments in history. Today, after decades or centuries, they are reappearing on the market, offering new buyers the chance to own a piece of the old world.
Although Sotheby’s does not divide its catalog into formal sections, it is easy to see several dominant trends. Here we find diamonds and colored stones, including rings with rare specimens cut in the old style; parures and jewelry sets, complete compositions worn during court ceremonies; jewels of historical provenance belonging to royal and noble dynasties, as well as transformable jewelry – brooches that turn into pendants or tiara elements. It is not only a display of luxury, but also a lesson in the history of jewelry.
The most exciting item is number 665, described as “Historically Important and Highly Significant Diamond Brooch/Pendant.” It is a brooch with an oval diamond weighing 13.04 carats, surrounded by old mine and mazarin cut diamonds. The whole piece was made in the early 19th century, with the attention to detail typical of the era.
However, the true value of the jewel is determined by its history. According to Sotheby’s documentation, the brooch belonged to Napoleon I Bonaparte and was lost after his defeat at Waterloo. It then fell into the hands of a Prussian officer, who presented it to King Frederick William III of Prussia. From there, the item passed into the collection of the Hohenzollern family, where it was kept by successive generations.
Today, more than two hundred years later, this small object is a testament to an era in which jewelry symbolized power, victory, and the memory of great deeds. The brooch is estimated to be worth between 120,000 and 200,000 Swiss francs, but its historical significance is priceless.
The “Royal & Noble Jewels” auction shows that jewelry is not only the art of goldsmithing, but also a form of storytelling about people and times gone by. Each of the items on display is a capsule of memory – connecting the worlds of craftsmanship, fashion, and politics. It is also a reminder that the true value of jewelry lies not only in the number of carats, but in the story it can tell.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in historical jewelry among collectors. This trend is driven by two phenomena: the search for authenticity and a fascination with heritage. In a world dominated by modern design and mass production, antique jewels offer something that contemporary luxury often lacks – soul, context, and uniqueness. Jewelry with history becomes not only an ornament, but also an emotional and cultural investment. Increasingly, younger collectors treat it as a form of applied art and a way to engage in a personal dialogue with the past.
Auctions such as this one restore respect for tradition and for the idea that jewelry can be a bridge between the past and the present. And Napoleon’s brooch? It is not only one of the most spectacular items at the auction, but also a symbol – that beauty, memory, and history can survive much longer than the empires that created them.
