Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-11-07
THE SANCY DIAMOND
leuend of Louis de Berquem and
the Celebrated Gem.
A NIGHT LAMP FOR A KING.
Checkered Career of the Brilliant Stone
After the Death of Charles the Timid.
Some Facts About the Invention OF
Diamond Cutting.

DIAMOND
Louis de BerQuem. says tradition
was a poor jewelers. workman, but
he fell in love with the daughter or
wealthy jeweler This avaricious IA
ther would not give his daughter III
marriage to any man not possessed Oh
gold. Louis. having neither "eXpecta-
lions" from relatives nor favor at
court, sought to make his fortune lie
had often heard the father OF MS De-
loved remark that the man who discOV- /
cred q method of cutting diamonds
would become very wealthy. for up TO
that time they knew nothing more
than to scrape off the gravel. ana the
diamond was left in its native stare.
Neiher lime, fire nor the mill could AZ
feet the diamond.
After many Investigations and deep
thought Louis bethOught himself that
iron IS fashioned with steel, when Is
only hardened iron. and 1t occurred 10
him that perhaps the diamond Wouiu
Weld to the diamond. He made an
W
cd with success.
A few days later he presented him.
self before the rich jeweler with two
diamonds cut into facets. He obtained
the hand he sought and amassed
great fortune by his secret. which he
divulged only after he had become
wealthy.
King Charles the Timid was the
nrincipal customer Of Louis de Der
ouem. The fastidlous enemy Of Louis
N. then possessed q large diamond,
since become celebrated, accounted
among the finest Of precious stones.
But this diamond was i'll shapen' ana
the fires which it held burned in vain.
Louis de Berquem cut and polished
This stone. and nothing could equal the
iov of Charles the Timid when the
ieweler brought him the great dia-
mond. so glittering with light that It
Iii ND the darkness, and this to such
an extent that the prince said, 1T Will
serve me as a night lamp Berquem
received 5000 ducats for his work.
AS for the diamond, this is the one
which was found in January, 14''' on
the body of Charles the Timid after
the battle of Nancy. y soldier picked
It up. sold 1t for one gold piece to a
nriest who in turn sold it for three
pieces Of gold to merchant, who took
it to the Duke Of Florence.
From the hands Of this prince II
passed into the possession Of the king
of Portugal. He sold it for 'OVOv
francs to one Of the companions OF
Henri III. Nicholas de Harlay. baron
of Sancv. Since this time the hrsi
large diamond to be cut is known as
-"the Sancy."
This legend leads to other considera
tions of the cutting Of diamonds as
cribed to Louis de Berquem at Brus
sells in 1860.
Hardly any one will assert bold!
that no diamonds were cut before tina
date. but it is reasonable to suppose
that Louis de Berquem regulated cut
ting fby arranging the facets.
Long before the birth OF Louis d
Rerouem cutting was known in India
Even in Europe we find among IN
treasures Of the churches thick Ola
monds cut into table and culet' u
MINER sides beaten into sections. Il
1860. according to the inventory OF IN
Jewels Of Louis, duke Of Anjou, l
found an entire series Of cut diamonds
There is mention Of a fat diamon
with six sides. Of q heart shaped Ola
mond. of q diamond with eight sides
of q lozenge shaped diamond, Of dia
mond pointed on four sides and OF
reliquary in which was set damon
cut in the shape Of a shield.
History informs u that 100 year
before the first work Of Louis de Bel
ouem there were at Paris, at the col
ner Of the Corroyerie, several damon
cutters.
The Duke Of Burgundy, after a IA
tidious repast given at the Louvre
the king and the French court IN l4o'
offered to his noble guests eleven dii
monds estimated to be worth -
pieces Of gold, the money Of the p'
Rod.
1t is hardly possible to suppose tina
these were uncut diamonds; all c
which goes to prove, notwithstandln
some opinions, that Louis de BerQuei
did not invent the process Of damon
cutting.
1t is no less interesting to follow II
fortunes of the Sancy little furthe
1t remained in the Sancy family SON
time. and Henri III. took it fro
them. 1t was destined to serve as
pledge for the raising Of a body
Swiss soldiers. but the servant intrus
ed with bringing this diamond to Il
king was attacked, put to death, al
the diamond was thought to be los
Finally it was discovered that Il
servant had been assasslnated in Il
forest of Dole and through the ca
of the priest had been buried in Il
village cemetery. Then the Baron
Sancv resolved that the diamond mu
not be lost. In fact, they found 1t
the stomach Of the hapless, faithf
servant. who swallowed it at The N
ment that he fell. According to Z
inventory Of 1871 the Sancy weigh
1884 carats.
1t disappeared in 1892 to reappear
Russia. It's value is estimated at
million francs. Before the reyoluu
it was among the French crown je
cls.-New York World.
Silence is sometimes the severe