Napoleon's diamond brooch will go up for auction. It could fetch more than a million.

Sotheby's will be auctioning a unique diamond-encrusted brooch that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte. This unique piece could fetch up to 200,000 Swiss francs.

Sotheby's will hold its annual Royal & Noble auction dedicated to aristocratic and royal jewelry. The event will take place on November 12th at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva .

One of the most interesting items up for auction is a diamond-encrusted brooch that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte. This will be the first time the item has been publicly displayed and will command a hefty price.

Napoleon Bonaparte brooch. Photo: Press materials / Sotheby's

According to information provided by the auction house, the brooch was captured by the Prussian army after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, which proved to be a major defeat for Napoleon . The brooch was lost during the French emperor's escape.

It must be admitted that this is a true marvel. The round brooch, approximately 45 millimeters in diameter, features a 13-carat oval diamond in its center. It is surrounded by approximately 100 old-cut diamonds. Sotheby's reports that it was created in a Parisian jewelry studio around 1810.

Napoleon Bonaparte brooch. Photo: Press materials / Sotheby's

It is speculated that it was intended to serve as an ornament for Napoleon's hat , but it also had a hook that allowed it to be used as an ordinary pendant.

What happened to Napoleon's diamond brooch after the events at Waterloo ? It became a war trophy, presented to King Frederick William III of Prussia in 1815. He also received Bonaparte's sword and hat as part of the package.

And then? The brooch changed hands… It then became the property of Emperor Wilhelm II , and then Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia , who died in 1994. For a long time, the brooch was in the hands of a private collector, but now it has a new owner.

The auction organizers predict that his Napoleonic trinket could be sold for as much as 200,000 Swiss francs, or over 900,000 zlotys.