Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-10-13
The French Crown Jewels.
T THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY ARE
A CURIOUS INVENTORY.

CURIOUS INVENTORY.
One of our French correspondents
writes:
Where are the crown jewels! is the
question asked ut present By some of
those people who think that some care
should be taken of the morrow, and
that France may yet see brighter DAYS
even If her capital should fall. The
poor Empress was accused Of desire
10 spirit them away, and, although she
gave the lie to the calumny by ordering
All inventor. to be made and the whole
collection to be turned over to General
Irochu, SO soon As that gentleman " as
appointed 10 the dictatorship 0f Paris.
still lingering fear OF official robbery
remained in the minds OF all, and to
this alone must be ascribed the arres:
Of Princess Mathilde and the sequestra-
ton of her sixty-two trunks at Dieppe.
She was released, OF course, as soon
rs her seventy-two million francs worth
of art treasures were discovered to be
the coinage of too fertile Imagination,
but the public was not satisfied. and 50
the Governor OF Paris has seen iii To
announce 10 his tellow-cittizens that the
Bank OF France is not the place OF de-
=
wealth, but tina, every one NAV rest as
sured that it is in a safe place, which,
Tor obvious reasons, he declines to dis
close
1t would indeed be rare treasure
trove" should Pari. be given upto loot
and the German army would be recon-
penscd financially for much of its priva-
tioD and suffering if it could divide up
this plunder, which III 1891 was esti-
mated ut more than -, 900 900 francs.
Formerly the crown jewels were in
charge OF the keeper Of the Gardc Meu-
bic Koyale, but BY Il decree of the Natl
onal Constituent Assembly, dated 10Th
and 9Th May, and 22d June. 1892.
Messrs, Dion, Christin and Delathe
were appointed Commis,aires ad hoe
and furnished 10 the "Conslituante' IA
aelM(liGi9 inventory of the ciderdnt roval
This inventory was divided in classes;
the first. including precious stones.
only under the csgnation-generic-
OF Crown Diamonds. OF this the first
chapter OF diamonds gives value
The second chapter, pearls. as.i
The third cha pier, coiorad stones. Fir. 36o, ,6Gl
The fourth enapter, parures (mount-
ed sen f'.-.-...-..-...-..'..... 81 40
IotAl---. ..;...........-: -:....- Fr. 2S.922, ,l57
Among these single diamond,
knonw as the Regent, is estimated ut
twelve millions oi francs. Since 1891
the market value of precious stones in
general Is considered to have tripled
itself. There are y,547 diamonds, 5l3
pearls, go r:.bies, II topazc~, l5V
emeralds, l3l sapphire>, 3 amethysts,
Syrian garnets, ) coored stones not
classified.
The second category of the inventory
comprises sets vi miscellaneous jewelrv
Etruscan, old Roman, &c.-rock crys-
tals. engraved STONES, antique orna-
ments. pictures, and other monuments,
OF art and science all belonging
TO the administration ot the National
Museums, and united in one OF tin.
most admirable galleries of the Louvre.
These treasures are independent OF the
fine art collections in the Palace, and
may possibly De concealed. in the event
oi sack OF the city--a most improbable
event, by the way-but many CHEFS
deurre will doubtless perish, or be car
ried away by the victors. proceeding
which will only be an imitation of the
doings Of the French themselves. when
ever they occupied any foreign capital,
during the conquest OF the first Napo-
leon.