Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-03-19

SO delighted with the brilliant beauty Of the pre-
viously dull stone, that he remunersted the young
man with three thousand dueats. We need not in
form the readerihow Berghen soon married his
lady-love: but we may state that, retaining the
secret of diamond cutting in his own family. he
and his descendants acquired immense wealth.
After the death of his patron Charles. he removed
to Paris, where, for two centuries afterwards,
the Berquins, as the name was Gsllicised,
were the most famous jewellers Of their
time.
The after-history of that large diamond, the
first ever cut in Europe at least, is perhaps wor-
thy of narration. Charles constantly carried it
with him on his own person, till at last soldier
found it beside the dukes dead body, on the
fatal battlefield of Nancy. Unconscious of is
value, the finder sold it for crown to priest
the priest equally ignorant, sold it for three du
cats to a pedar; the pedlar sold it for a large
sum to the Duke of Florence. From that prince
it passed into the hands of Antonio, king of Por-
tugal, who, when refugee in France, sold it for
10000 francs to Nicholas de Harlay, Lord of
Ssncy; thus it has since been known in the his
tory of precious stones, as the Sancy diamond
Sancy was faithful adherent to Henry w. of
France, and, during the civil war, was sent by
that monarch to solicit the assistance of the
Swiss. Finding that nothing could be done with
out money, he sent trusty servant to Paris for
the diamond, enjoining him never to part with it
arrived in Paris, and received the diamond, but
never returned to his master. After waiting
considerable time, Sancy, feeling confident that
the man had been robbed and murdered by
one of the many herdes of robbers that
then infested France, set out to endeavor to gain
some traces of him. After many adventures, he
discovered that person answering the descrlp-
ton of the servant he had found, robbed and MUIR
dered, in the Forest of Dole, and had been buried
by the peasantry. Sancy Immediately had the
body disinterred, and found the diamond-the
faithful fellow having, in obedience to his mas
ters injunction, swallowed it. Sancy pawned the
diamond with the Jews of Metz, and with the
money raised troops for the service of his royal
master. Put not your faith in princes is an
adage as sound as it is ancient. Henry seated on
the throne that Sancy's exertions saved, took &C.
casion of petty court intrigue, to ruin and dis
grace his too faithful partisan. The pledged dia-
mond never was redeemed; it remained in the
hands of the Israelite money lenders, till Louis
XIV purchased it for 100000 francs. 1t then be-
came one of the crown.jewels of France; but its
vicissitudes were not over. In 1871, when the
National Assembly appointed commission of
jewellers to examine the crown.jewels, the Sancy
Diamond was valued at 900, 900 livres. At the
restoration of Louis XVIII, it was nowhere to be
found, and nothing positive has been heard of it
since. But as so well-known and large diamond
could not readily be secretly disposed of without
attracting attention in some quarter it is shrewd
ly suspected that jewel sold in 1880, by the
Prince of Peace, for 500 900 francs, to of the
wealthiest of the Russian nobility was the missing
Sancy Diamond.
The operation of diamond. cutting is exceed
ingly simple, and is without doubt performed by
the cutters of the Koh.i-noor at the present time
in almost precisely the same manner as invented
by Berghen. The stone is held in the proper po-
sition by being EN- bedded all but the salient an
gle to be cut or polished, in solder of tin and
lead. 1t is then applied to rapidly-revolving
horizontal iron wheel, constantly supplied with
diamond dust, and moistened with olive-oil.
The anxious care and caution required in this
operation render it a very tedious one: the cut
ting of the Koh-i-noor will last many months,
and to be attended with an immense expense.
A still more tedious operation, however, is some.
times performed by diamond-cutters, when it is
found necessary to cut stone to two parts; it is
termed saving and is thus managed: the stone
sawn is scratched across in the desired direction
by very keen splinter of diamond, technically
termed sharp. An exceedingly fine iron wire,
with small portion of sweet-oil and diamond
dust, is then laid upon this guiding scratch; and
the workman draws the wire backwards and for
wards, as we may see blocks of stone sawn on a
larger scale liz the yard of the statuary. Still
greater care and attention are required in this
operation than in diamond-cutting: seven months
have been occupied in saving good sized stone.
Sometimes the diamond is cut by two being CO.
mented each upon seperate handle, and rubbed
together over box, which catches the precious
dust as it falls: but the stones thus cut are dis
figured by scratches, and must subsequently be
polished upon the wheel.