The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-12-10
THE FRENCH REoALiA.
,me of the Most Magnificent and Famous
Jewels In the World.

The FRENCH HE0AIIA.
,mc of the Most Magnificent and Famous
Jewels In the World.
The sale of the French crown jewels
which has been threatened for half 3
dozen years, has heen really decided
upon at last. The Senate has resolved.
thought not by 3 very large majority.
that such of the regalia as is destitute
of artistic value shall be sold. II is es-
timatcd that this pitiful proceeding will
realize about f5OO,00O, an estimate
which seems to indicate that important
reservations will be made. The '.Re-
gent diamond alone is supposed to be
worth f32O.O 900. while $4,000. 600 has
been mentioned as the total value of the
splendid collection. But with all its
magnificence the French regalia is q
mere shadow of what it was three-quar-
tiers of century ago. When it was
catalogued in 1910 it was found to con-
sist of thirty-seven thousand separate
pieces. A great many things have hap
pened in France since then, and most
of those thousands have disappeared.
The Regent or Pit, diamond, he story
of which has often been told, is the
glory of the French crown jewels. 1t
is oneef the most beautiful diamonds in
existence. aud for limpidity of hue it is
unrivaled. Its diameter and depth are
equal. and it weighs 1S7 carats. The
Earl OF Chatham's grandfather made his
fortune by tie bargain which added this
diamond to the French crown jewels.
In face of the doubt which surrounds
the whereabouts Of the Sanci diamond
(Some say the Gar has it. while other
amateurs and experts of precious stones
believe that it is still among the baubles
of royal and imperial France) the most
historically interesting of the French
gems is the parure of diamonds formed
from the stones of the most famous
necklace that ever graced the bosom Of
imperial beauty. The diamond neck
lace changed the whole future of France,
and it is to be presumed that whatsoever
is responsible for the sale will place it
upon the list of gems to be preserved as
national heirlooms The missing Sanci
is probably the most historic of all da-
monds. Charles the Bold wore it in his
hat upon the field where he lost his life;
md the soldier who found it among the
slain sold it to priest for a form. A
Lucerne merchant gave the priest 5000
ducats for the stone, and then sold it TO
Emmanuel the Fortunate of Portugal.
When Philip II. assumed the crown OF
Portugal Don Antonio parted with the
gem for f2,S00 to the Steur de Sanci.
in whose family it remained for more
than century. Afterward it was pos
sessed BY James H., who took it with
him when he fled from these shores
never to return. and sold it to Louis
Quatorze for f25.0O0. LOus Seize wore
it at his coronation, and thereafter it
had long spell of repoSe. In 1855
Prince Paul Demidof bought it for ESQ.,
600; and although it is said to have been
repurchased by Napoleon III. in 1867,
the general belief is that it now forms
part of the Russian regalia. The point
Is interesting to the amateur of precious
| stones. and could be cleared up readily
enough. The Sanci diamond has had
an odyssey of adventures. The story
runs that it was once even swallowed
by faithful custodian.
Gems of this kind strangely disap-
pear and reappear. How axe We to
explain the presence among the French
crown Jewels of the diamond necklace
of hearts sent by Mary of Scotland.
shortly after accession, to Queen Eliza
beth? The French collection is aston
ishingly rich in diamonds, and in them
most of the interest centers. A few
other Jewels there are of great historic
interest. Of such are the .'Regale Of
France" the ring placed upon the shrine
of 81. Thomas Beckett by Louis VII.
Henry VIII. long Wore it As thumb
ring; and in the end it passed again TO
the royal house of France. One OF the
largest of known rubies is here: it is en-
| graved with 4 chimeras and it is PROB
ably the largest OF all engraved rubies.
Here. too. is the lavishly begemmed
watch given by Louis Seize to the beg
of Algiers: magnificent reiiquary,
dated 1879. mounted with brilliauts set
in triangle. and dragon and Ele-
plant of Denmark" an unusually
splendid piece of enameling.-Lonloa
DYiCet