Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1908-12-11
THE SANCY DIAMOND
legend Of Louis Dc Berquem and
the Celebrated Gem.
a NIGHT LAMP FOR A KING.

1OulH NC bDAQhCAab DaS1 ~NNNA~--f
was a poor jewelers. workman, but
he fell In love with the daughter OF
wealthy jeweler. This avaricious IA.
ther 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 fC&une. He
had often heard the father Of his be
loved remark that the man who discov-
cred a method Of cutting diamonds
would become very wealthy, for up to
that time they knew nothing more
than to scrape OF the gravel. and the
diamond was left in it's native state
Neiher lime, FIRE nor the mill could al
feet the diamond
&, After many investigations and deep
thought Louis bethought himself that
iron is fashioned with steel, which is
only hardened iron, and 1t occurred TO
him that perhaps the diamond would
Weld to the diamond. He made an
experiment, which was at once crown
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 be sought and amaPsed
areat fortune by, his Secset, which he
aivulged only after be had become
wealthy.
King Charles TIE Ttmid was the
nFinctDal customer Of Louis de Ber-
auen. The fastidlous enemy OF Louis
N. then possessed large diamond,
Since become celebrated, accounted
among the finest Of precious stones.
But this diamond was III Bhapen, and
the fres which It held burned in vain.
~ Louis De BerQuem cut and polished
this stone, and nothing could equal the
10Y OF Charles the Timid when the
Seweler brought him the great dia-
nond, 10 glittering with light that it
Mt ND the darkness, and this to such
an extent that the prince said, ut Will
serve me as a night lamp" Berquem
received 1900 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 up, sold 1t for one gold piece to a
priest, who In turn sold 1t for three
pieces Of gold to a merchant, who took
II 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 Ill, Nicholas de Harlay, baron
of sancy. Since this time the first
large diamond to be cut is known as
'athe Sancy."
This legend leads to other copsidera-
lions Of the cutting Of diamonds as
cribed to Louis de Berquem at Brus-
sells in 1466.
Hardly any one viii assert boldly
that no diamonds were cut before that
date, but 1t 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 And among the
treasures Of the churches thick dia.
Inonds cut into table and culet, the
upper sides beaten into sections. In
1890, according to the inventory Of the
Jewels Of Louis, duke Of AnJou. is
found an entire series Of cut diamonds.
There Is mention Of hat diamond
with six sides, of heart shaped dia-
mond, Of diamond with eight sides,
OF a lozenge shaped diamond, OF dia-
rnond pointed on four sides and Of Q
reliquary In which was Get 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, several diamond
cutters.
The Duke Of Burgundy, after fas
TEDIOUS repast given at the Louvre t.
the king and the French court in 140S
offered to his noble guests eleven Ola
monds estimated TO be worth To-
pieces Of gold, the money Of the pc
Rod
1t is hardly possible to suppose tina
these were uncut diamonds; all O
which goes to prove, notwithstanding
some opinions, that Louis de Berquen
did not invent the process Of diamond
cutting
II is no less interesting TO follow tn
fortunes Of the Fancy little; further
II remained In the eancy family SOM
dine, and Henri III. took II from
them. Il was destined to serve ~
pledes for the raising OF . body 9
6wiss soldiers, but the servant intrusi
"a win bringing this diamond 70 II
hsis was attacked, put 70 death. an
iRs aihmtnd was ahcaeht toobe los'
gDaAaIly n wae discovered that -
earvant I'D been assassiaated n -
Nepo,t IS pqaq a. l.pe1Te ~ so
- -. - - knaz hl-ala a. a