The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-22
STORY OF A FAMOUS DIAMOND.
How the Regent Came into Possession
 of the Duke nf Orleans.

How the Regent Came into Possession of the Duke of Orleans.
 Jewellers Circular Weekly.
 One of the most beautiful diamonds in the world is the Regent. It belongs
 to France. Besides its dimensions, which are considerable, 1t unites vari- ous qualities which further augment l its value. When rough 1t weighed 40 carats. Its present weight is only | 136 carats. Its cutting, which Is of great excellence. required two years of work. It was valued in 1791 at | 12, 900, 900 francs. This diamond was purchased in the rough state by the | 900 francs. The Duke of Orleans. then | Regent of France. acquired 1t in 1717 | for the sum of 3,375,00o francs.
 According to St. Simon, who gives an l interesting recital of the purchase of | the stone. there is quite a different version from that ordinarily accepted. Through an extremely rare opportu- | nity. an employe in the diamond mines | of the Grand Mogul was able to extract | one of very large size. He found means of embarking and reaching Eu- rope with his diamond He took 1t to England, where the King admired It., without. however, deciding to buy it. A model of glass was made in England and the man was sent with the model and the diamond to Law. who proposed | to sell 1t to the Regent for the King. | The price frightened the Regent, who refused to buy 1t.
 "The state of the finances was an obstacle on which the Regent insisted.
 He feared mourning censure for so large a purchase, while there was trou- ble in providing for the most pressing
 necessities. and many people were left | in suffering.
 T applauded this sentiment, but I | said to him that 1t was not suitable to exercise the same economy 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 Eu- rope should not be- lost. I did not leave the Duke of Orleans until I had obtained the promise that the diamond should be purchased. Law. before speaking to me, had represented to the possessor of the diamond that 1t would
 be impossible to procure the sum that he had hoped for and the loss would be occasioned by breaking it up into pieces, so that the price had been re- reduced to 100000 francs, including the scraps that would come from the cutting. The bargain was concluded in this way. The interest of 100000 francs was paid until the whole amount could be raised, and in the meantime | 2, 900, ,0O0 francs in precious stones was
 hypothecated."
 In the celebrated robbery at the Garde Meuble, in 1792, this stone was stolen and concealed behind roof timber of a barn. As result Of proclamation it was recovered by a mu- nicipal officer named Sargent.
 The Regent was the most beautiful jewel in the coronation crown of King Louis XIV. Later 1t was held by Vanler- berghe. a banker as pledge for his advances. historian of the time states that the wife of the banker took the opportunity of wearing 1t while 1t was in her husbands possession. The first consul In his turn pledged the Regent to the Bavarian Govern
 ment to procure the funds which were
 lacking after the eighteenth Brumaire.
 sword with the celebrated diamond.
 which, in the words of Vatout, might
 well have dispensed with the ornament.