Leisure hours among the gems

by Augustus C. Hamlin

Not long after this acquisition, Henry IV. wished to engage the services of a select body of Swiss soldiers, to serve in his army; and as security for the pay of these hirelings, he sent the gem by a trusty servant to Harlai, who was then in Switzerland. The faithful valet, whilst on his way to Bern, was beset by robbers in the forests that conceal the entrance to the pass of the Dôle, one of the mountains of the Jura. He managed to swallow the diamond without being perceived by the bandits, before he was stripped and assassinated.

The Baron, on learning the fate of his envoy, mistrusted that he had resorted to this expedient of concealing his treasure. He therefore sent a party of soldiers to the place, disinterred the body, and recovered the gem. It was immediately placed in the hands of the Jews of Metz, as security for a large sum of money; and it is also related that the gem was never redeemed. Here ends the history of the second Sancy; and no further account of it can be found.

Concerning the history of Sancy No. 3, it is related that when Baron Sancy returned from Constantinople, where he had been as ambassador, he exhibited a large and beautiful diamond, which he had acquired for the sum of $120,000. This statement is somewhat obscure, from the fact that the ambassador was not Harlai de Sancy, but his son Achille, who was also sent on various missions by Richelieu during the years 1626 to 1635. However, it is certain that a new diamond was imported into France by one of the Sancys, and that it was a remarkable gem. It was described as being of the form of an almond, faceted all over its surface with small facets, after the manner practised in India. The weight of this gem has been variously stated; and these conflicting statements have served to increase the mystery concerning the Sancy gems. The weight of the diamond has been given as high as one hundred and twenty-six karats; but Delisle assured Dutens that he saw M. Jacquemin, the Crown jeweller, weigh the gem, and that it did not exceed fifty-four karats. Nevertheless, the famous inventory of the French gems in 1792 gives 33¹²⁄₁₆ karats as the true weight of the famous Sancy diamond. How shall we explain this wide discrepancy?

Forty-two years after the death of the Baron, the diamond passed into the hands of Henrietta Maria, the queen-dowager of England, and subsequently into the possession of James II. The unfortunate king, while in exile, sold the gem to Louis IV. for the sum of $125,000; and here its history ends.

During the latter part of the seventeenth century, Robert de Berquen, a descendant of the famous lapidary, wrote his “Merveilles des Indes,” and therein he describes the diamond brought from India by Baron Sancy, as then in possession of the Queen of England, and being almond-like in form, faceted on both sides, and of fifty-four karats in weight. This account agrees with those of the French jewellers, and serves to connect the history of the gem up to this period.

Not many years after the bold robbery of 1792, a large diamond was acquired, by some mysterious means, by the widow of Charles IV. of Spain, who gave it to the notorious Prince of Peace Godoy. In 1838, Princess Paul Demidoff is said to have purchased it for half a million of roubles; and it is also certain that the Demidoff family sold it in 1865, to the Parsee millionnaire, Sir Jansetjee Jejeebhoy of Bombay, for $100,000.

Now the question arises, which was the true Sancy? And to settle the inquiry satisfactorily, will be a difficult task. From all these accounts, the reader may infer that there are three distinct diamonds included under the history of Sancy. The first is the diamond of the Duke of Burgundy, weighing, from its description, about thirty-three karats, and of a well-marked form. This gem is clearly traced to Philip II. of Spain. The second, which was of unknown weight, was last noticed in the hands of the Jews at Metz. The third was of the form of a brilliolette, and of fifty-four karats weight, and has lately returned to the land of its birth, with the honors of the name of Sancy. Which of these gems deserves the name of the Sancy diamond?

Madame de Pompadour, in the bright days of her prosperity, possessed some rare gems, but we can learn but little concerning them. Her will indicates that the beautiful ring containing white and rose-colored diamonds was given to the Duke de Goutaud, and also that the rare diamond of an aqua marine tint went to the Duke de Choiseul.

After having referred to the political importance of the Regent diamond, it may be proper for us to briefly mention the famous affair of the diamond necklace, which unjustly cast a stain upon the prestige of royalty in France, and ultimately exerted a certain influence, among other causes, that led to the downfall of the monarchy, and the fearful scenes that followed. The details of this daring scheme read more like romance than reality; yet they are well substantiated in history.

It appears that Böhmer, a jeweller of Paris, had collected, in 1784, a large number of beautiful diamonds, with which he formed a magnificent necklace valued at 1,600,000 francs. The jewel had been offered to the Queen Marie Antoinette; but she had declined the purchase as beyond her means at the time. Her regrets at her inability to obtain the splendid decoration reached the ears of Prince Cardinal de Rohan, who was then living at Paris, in disgrace, for having divulged some court secrets while he was ambassador at Vienna. The Prince was not only handsome and conceited, but he was notorious for his gallantry and his follies. Unfortunately for himself and the court, he sought at this time to regain the favor of the Queen, and made it the grand object of his life.