The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-01-11
atoAY 81 4 aaEAT 6IANoNo.



How the Regent Came Into Possession
Of the Duke Of orleans.
One OF the n,cat beautiful diamonds
IN the world is the Regent II belongs
to France. Besides its Dimensions.
which nre considerable. It unltes
various qualities which further aug
ment It's value. When rough IL weighs
% 40 carats. It's present weight is
only 1876 carats. ITS outing. which ~
OF great excellence, required two years
Of work. 1t was valued In 1871 at
i2,o00.0OO francs. This diamond was
purchased In the rough state by the
grandfather Of william Pitt for 312.o0s
francs. The Duke OF Orleans. then
Regent OF France. acquired It in 17t7
sor the sum OF s.s75.OOO francs.
According to st. 1.mon, who gives
an intere.ding recital Of the purchase
OF the stone, there is quite a different
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 OF very large size. lio
found means OF embarking and reach
ing Europe With his diamond. lie
took It to England, where the king
admired it, without, however, deciding
to buy 1t. A model of glass was made
In England and lhe man was sent with
the diamond and model to Law, who
proposed It to the Repent ror The King.
The prise frightened the Regent, who
refused to buy il.
"The state - NE finances was an
obstacle on rhich the Regent insisted.
He feared mcurring censure for SO
large purchase, while there WAS
trouble providing for lie most
pressing necessities and many people
we're left in suffering.
Il applalded this serdr,nrs but |
said to him that It waE ngt suitable to
exercise the same economy for the
greatest King OF Europe as tor g pri-
vate individual; that the honor of the
Crown should be considered and the
opportunity OF procuring diamond
which would eclipse all others IN
Europe should not be lost iid not
leave the Duke of Orleans antfl had
obtained the prcm.se that the dia-
mond should be purchased. Law, be-
fcre speaking to me, had represented
to the possessor OF the diamond that
It would be impossible to procure the
sum that he had hoped for. and the
less that would be occasioned by
breaking 1t up into pieces, SO that the
price had been reduced to 2O00.o0t
francs, including the scraps that would
come from the cutting. Tie 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 1872. this stone was
stolen and concealed behind a rooi
timber Of barn. AS result Of q
proclamation it was recovered by
municipal officer named Sergcnt.
The Regent was -he most beav.ifu
Jewel in the coronation crown of Kin:
Louis XIV. Later 1t was held by Vslor'
berghe, banker, as pledge for hi'
advances. A historian OF the times
states that the wife Of the banker
took the opportunity of wearing 4
while 1t was in her husbands possess
ION.
The first Consul in his turn pledge'
the Regent TO the Batavian Govern
ment to procure the funds which wer'
lacldng after the 18th Brumaire. Late
he ornamented his Austerltz swor'
with the celebrated diamond, which
In the words of vatout, might vel
have dispensed with the ornament
-Jewlers Circular Weekly.