A bangle and a brooch that passed down Portugal's last queen's family, and an Art Deco bracelet from Denmark's royal collection, are offered in Sotheby's Royal & Noble Jewels sale.
Sotheby's Royal & Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on 11 November 2026 includes three emerald jewels with royal provenance: an 1880s bangle set with a 27.38 ct Colombian cabochon emerald and a late 19th-century brooch, both from Queen Amélie of Portugal, and a 1920s Art Deco bracelet from Queen Alexandrine of Denmark. Sotheby's estimates range from CHF 50,000 to 100,000 a lot.
The three lots
The jewels are lots 1069, 1070 and 1071 in Sotheby's Royal & Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on 11 November 2026, as The Court Jeweller reported on 3 November.
- Lot 1071: an emerald and diamond bangle of the 1880s, centred on a cabochon emerald of 27.38 ct, which an SSEF report identifies as Colombian. Estimate CHF 70,000 to 100,000.
- Lot 1070: an emerald and diamond brooch of the late 19th century, with later alterations, set with a cabochon emerald and a detachable emerald drop, both Colombian according to SSEF. Estimate CHF 70,000 to 100,000.
- Lot 1069: an Art Deco emerald and diamond bracelet of the 1920s, in a fitted case stamped by A. Michelsen, the Danish crown jeweller. Estimate CHF 50,000 to 80,000.
Queen Amélie's jewels
Amélie of Orléans was Queen of Portugal from 1889 to 1908 and died in exile in France in 1951. According to Sotheby's, she left the bangle to her niece and goddaughter, Princess Esperanza of Bourbon-Orléans, who gave it to her own daughter, Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza, as a wedding present in 1972, when she married Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia. The bangle was sold at Sotheby's New York in December 1981 and bought by the collector Gabriele Murdock. The brooch followed the same path, and Sotheby's says Murdock later had it altered so it could also be worn as the clasp of a pearl necklace.
Queen Alexandrine's bracelet
Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was Queen of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, as the wife of King Christian X. Sotheby's traces the bracelet from her to her son, Hereditary Prince Knud, and his wife, Princess Caroline-Mathilde, and then to their daughter, Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, who died in 2018. It was sold at Bruun Rasmussen in Copenhagen on 1 December 2022.
Why provenance follows a jewel
A royal name only counts when it can be shown. Here, the line of ownership is written down at every step: named heirs, a wedding gift, and earlier sale catalogues in 1981 and 2022, alongside modern laboratory reports on the stones. The same idea applies to family pieces at any level: receipts, original boxes, old photographs and family records all help show what a jewel is and where it has been. This is the third royal story we have covered from this sale, after the Romanov Sapphire and the Devonshire black opal tiara. For more on the stone, see our emerald jewellery pages and Emeralds through time. If you have an antique emerald piece with a history, send us a few photos and we will tell you what it is worth, free and with no obligation.
More from Mozeris News
- Queen Mary of Denmark Debuts Queen Alexandrine's Sapphire Tiara, Redesigned
- The 197.80-Carat Romanov Sapphire, Once in the Russian Crown Jewels, Heads to Sotheby's Geneva
- An 8.63-Carat Fancy Intense Pink Diamond Leads Sotheby's High Jewelry Sale in Geneva
- The Devonshire Cartier Black Opal Tiara, Made With Opals From Australia, Heads to Sotheby's Geneva
Looking to buy or sell? Get in touch
We buy and sell antique and vintage jewellery, watches, silver and collectables, with free valuations and free insured collection.
About Mozeris Fine Antiques
Mozeris Fine Antiques is a dealer in fine jewellery, watches and silver, with offices in Mayfair, London, and Braintree, Essex. We buy and sell, and offer free valuations. Visits are by appointment.
- View the sale at Sotheby's: Royal & Noble Jewels, Geneva, 11 November 2026
- Lot 1071: Superb antique emerald and diamond bangle (Queen Amélie of Portugal), at Sotheby's
- Lot 1070: Important antique emerald and diamond brooch (Queen Amélie of Portugal), at Sotheby's
- Lot 1069: Art Deco emerald and diamond bracelet (Queen Alexandrine of Denmark), at Sotheby's
- The Court Jeweller: Royal emeralds from the Queens of Denmark and Portugal head to auction (3 Nov 2026)
Facts as published by Sotheby's on its lot pages and by The Court Jeweller. An estimate is not a result. Mozeris Fine Antiques is not connected with Sotheby's or anyone named. No photograph is used because no licensed image was available.
