The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-11
TIE SANCY DIAMOND
legend Of Louis dc Berauem and
the Celebrated Gem.
A NIGHT LAMP FOR A KING.

be fell in love with the daughter of a
wealthy jewelcr. This avaricious IA
ther would not give his daughter in
marriage to any man not possessed of
gold. Louis, having neither "eXpecta-
tions" from relatives nor favor at
court, sought to make his fortune He
had often heard the father of his be-
loved remark that the man who dscov-
cred a method of cutting diamonds
would become very wealthy, for up to
that time they knew nothing more
than to scrape off the gravel, and the
diamond was left in it's native state.
Nelher 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, which is
only hardened iron, and II occurred to
him that perhaps the diamond would
yield to the diamond. He made an
experiment, which was Mt once crown
ed 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
principal customer Of Louis de Ber-
quem. The fastidious enemy of Louis
XI. then possessed a large diamond,
since become celebrated accounted
among the finest of precious stones
But this diamond was III shapen, and
the fires which it held burned in vain.
Louis de Berquem cut and polished
this stone, and nothing could equal the
joy of Charles the Tlmld when the
jeweler brought him the great dia-
mond. so glittering with light that 1t
lit up the darkness, and this to such
an extent that the prince said, at will
serve me as night lamp" Berquem
received 5000 ducats for his work.
AS for the diamond, this is the one
which was found in January, 1477, on
the body of Charles the Timid after
the battle OF Nancy. A soldier picked
It M, sold It for one gold piece to
priest, who in turn sold it for three
pieces of gold to n merchant, who took
II to the Duke OF Florence.
o From the hands of this prince 1t
passed into the possession of the king
of Portugal. He sold It for 10000
francs to one OF the companions of
Henri ILL.,, Nicholas de Harlay, baron
of Sancy. Since this time the first
large diamond to be cut is known as
'the Sancy."
This legend leads TO other considcra.
tions of the cutting Of diamonds as
cribed TO Louis de Berquem at Brus-
sells I'm 14G5.
Q Hardly any one will assert boldly
that no diamonds were cut before that
date, but It is reasonable to suppose
that Louis de Berquem regulated cut
ting by arranging the facets.
Z Long before the birth of Louis de
Berquem cutting was known in India.
Even In Europe we find among the
treasures of the churches thick dia
monds cut into table and culet, the
upper sides beaten into sections. In
1860. according TO the inventory Of the
Jewels of Louis. duke of AniOu. IL
found an entire series of cut diamonds.
There is mention of fat diamond
with six sides. Of heart shaped dla
mond. of diamond with eight sides.
of lozenge shaped diamond, OF dia-
mond pointed on four sides and of a
reliquary In which was set n diamond
cut I'm tho shape Of shield
History informs us that 100 years
before the first work of Louis de Ber'
quem there were at Paris, Mt the cor
ner of the Corroyerie, several diamond
cutters.
The Duke Of Burgundy, after fas
tidious repast given at the Louvre to
the king and the French court in 1903,
offered TO his noble guests eleven dia-
monds estimated TO be worth 7S6
pieces Of gold, the money Of the pc
riod.
1t is hardly possible to suppose that
these were uncut diamonds; all Of
which goes to prove, Notwithstanding
some opinions, that Louis de Berquem
did not invent the process Of diamond
cutting.
IL is no less interesting TO follow the
fortunes OF the Sancy little further.
ItSremained in the Sancy family some
time, and Henri III. took 1t from
a them. II was destined TO serve as a
pledge for the raising of a body OF
Swiss soldiers, but the servant intrust-
ed with bringing this diamond to the
king was attacked, put to death, and
tile diamond was thought to be lost.
Finally 1t was discovered that the
servant had been assassinated in the
forest Of Dole and through the care
Of the priest had been buried in the
village cemetery. Then the Baron de
6ancy resolved that the diamond must
not be lost. In fact, they found 1t in
the stomach Of the hapless, faithful
servant. who swallowed 1t at the mo-
ment that he fell According to the
Inventory OF 1871 the Sancy weighed
S8M cnrats.
d Ii disappeared In 1902 TO reappear In
Russia. Its value Is estimated at a
million francs. Before the revolution
II was among the French crown jew
els.-sNew York World.
" " -