The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-11-18
THE SARC ] : DIAMOND
Legend Of Louis de Berqueml and
the Celebrated Gem.
A NIGHT LAMP FOR A KING.

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A NIGHT LAMP FOR A KING.
cheekersd Career Of the Brilliant Stone
After the Death Of Charles the Timid:
/. Some Facts About the. Invention Of
Diamond Cutting.
Louis de Berquem. says tradition,
was poor jewelers. workman, but
he fell In love WITH the daughter Of a
wealthy jeweler. This avaricious IA
Their would not give his daughter in
marriage to any man not possessed Of
gold. Louis, having neither "expecta-
lions" 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 discov.
cred method Of cutting diamonds
would become very wealthy, for up to
that time they knew nothing moro
than to scrape OF the gravel. and the
diamond was left in its native state.
Neiher lime. fire nor the mill could at
feet the diamond
After many investigations and deep
thought Louis hethought himself that
iron is fashioned with steel, which is
only hardened iron. and it occurred to
him that perhaps the diamond would
yield to the diamond. He made an
experiment. which was at 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 a
great fortune by his secret, which he
divulged only after the had become
wealthy.
King Charles the Timid was the
principal customer Of Louis de Ber-
QUEEN. The fastidious enemy of Louis
n. then possessed large diamond,
since become celebrated, accounted
among the finest Of precious stones.
But. this diamond was i'll 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 Timid 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. ut will
serve me as night lamp" Berquem
received 5000 ducatst 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
1t mp, sold 1t for one gold piece to- q
priest, who in turn sold 1t for three
pieces of gold to merchant, who took
1t to the Duke of Florence.
:, From ,the hands of this prince 1t
passed into the possession Of the king
of Portugal. He sold 1t for 10000
francs to one Of the companions of
Henri III. Nicholas .0e1Harlay., baron
of sancy. Since this time the first
large diamond TO be cut is known as
.'.the sancy,"
This legend leads tosother considera-
lions Of the cutting Of diamonds as
cribed to Louis de Berquem at Brus.
sels- IN 1865. -" -, :ta
Hardly any one win assert boldly
that no diamonds we're cut before that
date butt IS reasonable to suppose
that Louis de Berquem regulated cut
ting by arranging the facets.
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
1850; according to the inventory Of the
jewels Of Louis. duke Of Anjou, is
found On entire series Of cut diamonds.
There is mention, Of. q nat diamond
with six sides, Of heart shaped dia.
mond, Of a diamond with eight sides,
OF q. lozenge shaped diamond, of dia-.
mond pointed on four sides and Of a
reliquary IN which was set diamond
cut in the shape Of shield.
History informs us that $50 years
before the first work Of Louis de Der.
quem there were at Paris, at the cor
ner Of the Corroyerie.r several diamond
cutters. So.
The Duke Of Burgundy, after fas-
tidfous 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 7S8
pieces Of gold, the money Of the pc
riod.
It 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: -. -