New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-02-02
THE FRENCH GROWN DIAMONDS.

THE FRENCH CROWN DIAMONDS.
A PRETTY piece of news comes to us
from France. NJ. Turquet, the Minister
who has charge of the Department of
count the jewels Of the French crown
for the increase of the public collections
of paintings and sculptures.
His plan is to divide these Jewels into
three classes. The first class, which
will include all the jewels having an
historical interest, he wishes to deposit
at the Museum of the Louvre, open to
the inspection of the public. The Sec
ond class will comprise the stones
which have value as meteorological
specimens, and these he desires to have
deposited at the Museum of Mines. The
third class, which is much the most
numerous, consists of the Jewels which
have only a commercial value. These
he proposes to sell at public auction,
and invest the proceeds for the annual
purchase of works of art. Every ra-
tional being in France approves this ex-
cellent scheme, and there is reason to
believe that it will be adopted by the
National Legislature.
The crown jewels of France were re-
nowned for centuries, and it was
thought to be a great concession to the
people when, in 1884, the gallery in
which they were kept was opened to
visitors once month. Before that
time, it was sort of distinction in
France to have been allowed to inspect
that wonderful collection, and even aft
erwards it was not an easy matter to be
one of the crowd of monthly visitors.
From an inventory taken in 1871
(Which employed twelve men three
months), we learn that the collection
comprised the following gems: 9,547
diamonds; 513 pearls; 230 rubies, of
which l45 were not mounted; 60 to-
PAGES not mounted; $50 emeralds, of
which 1873 were not mounted; 1874 sap
phires not mounted; and large num-
Der of other gems of various values and
colors. The jewels were arranged in
eleven cases of large size, in such way
as to exhibit their splendors to the
greatest advantage.
Among the diamonds there were four
which were celebrated throughout the
world, each of which had a history.
First, there was the Regent, brought
from India early in the last century by
Thomas Pitt, and sold in 1717 to the
Regent of France, the Duke of Orleans,
for 100000. 1t weighs little over
1876 carats; and although not the largest,
it is considered the finest diamond in
existence. The Duke de St. Simon, who
persuaded the Regent to buy it, describes
it thus in his Memoirs:
lit is of the size of Queen Claude
plum, of form almost round, of a
thickness proportioned to it's volume,
perfectly white, free from every spot,
shade and flaw, of an admirable water.
and it weighs more than five hundred
grains"
St. Simon adds:
II applaud myself much for having
induced the Regent to make so illus.
trious purchase
1t is, indeed, most beautiful object.
The reader may be amused with the
arguments used by St. Simon to per-
suade the Regent to buy the diamond.
When it was offered for sale, in 1717.
the finances of the French Government
were in great disorder. The Regent,
though he coveted the possession of
the jewel for the crown, was dismaved
at the price, and refused to buy it; as
the King of England had done for the
same reason. No one could look at it
without wishing to put it in his pocket
and carry it home; but two millions of
francs was a very large sum in those
times, not less, think, in purchasing
power, than the same number of our
gold dollars of to-day. The King of
France then was Louis XIV, little boy
seven years old, and not very robust.
St. Simon, however, saw the child with
the eyes of Duke of the old req;nae,
and he reasoned thus:
II agreed with Law (who also advised
the purchase) that it did not become the
grandeur of the King of France to
allow himself to be frustrated bv the
price OF an object which was unique in
the world, and inestimable; and that
the greater the number of potentates
who had not dared to think of it, the
more we ought to beware of letting it
escape us. The Regent feared to be
blamed for making purchase 50 con-
siderable at time when we could
scarcely meet necessities the most
pressing, and when we were obliged to
leave so many people unpaid. I praised
this sentiment; but l told him that he
ought not to act for the greatest King in
Europe as he would for a private in
dividual. It was his duty to consider
the honor of the crown, and not permit
the chance to escape of procuring a
diamond without price, which OBJ
liberated those of all Europe. I main
tanned that it would be glory for his
regency which would last forever
He said, also, that the finances were
in so bad condition that.two or three
million francs more or less would make
no difference. He prevailed at length,
although the Regent was obliged to buy
the gem on credit and give the mer-
chant a pledge of two million francs
worth of smaller crown jewels until the
price was paid. The prediction of the
Duke de st. Simon, that the Regent
would be remembered chiefly through
the purchase of the jewel, appears to
have come true. The fact that this
splendid object is called the Regent
does more to perpetuate his memory
than any other act of his careless and
bad administration. People in general
would scarcely know that France had
ever had Regent butfor the diamond,
which to this day retains its rank as
the finest jewel in the world.
Another Of the great diamonds was
called the Sancy. 1t resembled a pen
dulum in form, was very pure and
brilliant, weighed thirty-three carats,
and was valued at two hundred thou
sand dollars. Another was styled the
Mirror of Portugal, oblong in shape,
extremely white and clear, weighing
twenty-one carats, and was valued at
fifty thousand dollars. The fourth in
value, called the 1.-THE of Mazarin, was
square in form with rounded edges,
splendidly brilliant, weighing sixteen