The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-26
sroRy OF A GREAT DIAMOND.
How the Regent Came Into Possession
of the Duke Of Orleans.

] i'SW VIC Hc9cnt lame INTO POSSESSION
, Of the Duke Of Orleans.
One of the most beautiful diamonds
in the world is the Regent. lt belongs
TO France. Besides It's dimensions.
which are considerable. it unltes
various qualities which further aug
ment its value. When rough IL weigh
ed 4i0 carats. It's present weight is
only 1876 carats. Its cutting, which is
Of great excellence. required two years
OF work. lt was valued in 1891 at
l2,00O,OOO francs. This diamond was
purchased in the rough state by tie
grandfather of William Pitt for $4,000
! francs The Dnke of Orleans, then
Regent of France. acquired it in i7i7
Tor the sum OF S,975,OOO francs.
According tc St ..mon. who Sves
az pteresting iecital If the purchase
o. tr- tone, there is quite Ginerent
version from that ordinarily accepted:
Through an extremely rare oppor-
tunity an employee IN the diamond
mines OF the Grand Mogul was able
to extract one o. very lerge size, lie
found means OF embarldng and reach
ing Europe with his diamond lie
took II to England, where the king
admired Il. without, however. deciding
to buy It. A model Of glass was made
in England and the mar IS sent with
the diamoud and modes t. Law, Who
proposed It to the Regent for the King.
The price frightened the Regent, who
refused TO buy il.
The state OF the finances was an
obstacle on which the Regent insisted.
He feared mourning censure for SO
large purchase, while there was
trouble n provi"i0g for tie most
pressing necessities and many people
we're left in suffering.
Il appla :ded this sentiment, but I
said 20 him that IL was not suitable to
exercise the same ocouomy for the
greatest King OF Europe as for a pri-
vate individual; that the honor OF the
Crown should be considered and the
opportunity OF procuring a diamond
which would eclipse all others IN
Europe should not be lost ! did not
leave the Duke OF Orleans untn had
obtained the promise that the dia-
mond should be purchased. Law, be-
fCre speaking TO me, had represented
20 the possessor OF the diamond that
Il would be impossible 10 procure the
less that would be occasioned by
breaking IL MP into pieces. so that the
price had bees reduced TO 100000
francs, including the scraps, that would
come from the cutting. The bargain
was concluded in this way. The in
terest OF 100000 francs in precious
stones was hypothecated."
In the celebrated robbery at the
Garde Meuble, in 1899. this stone ives
stolen and concealed behind a roof
timber OF barn. As result of a
proclamation Il was recovered by a
municipal oficer named sergent.
The Regent was the most beautiful
jewel in the coronation crown II King
Louis XIV. Later 1t was held by Valcr-
herghe, banker. as = pledge for Lis
advances. A historian Of tse times
states that the wife OF the banker
took the opportunity OF wearing Il
while Il was in her husbands possesa-
ion.
The first Consul in his turn pledged
the Regent to the Batayian Govern
ment to procure the funds which we're
lacking after the 18th Brumsire. Later
he ornamented his Austerlitz sword
with the celebrated diamond, which,
in the words OF Vstout, might well
have dispensed with the onamen-
--Jewlers Circular Weekly.