The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-01-05
THE SANCY DIAMOND
Legend Of Louis de Berquem and
the Celebrated Gem.
A NIGHT LAMP FOR A KING.

chseksrsd 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 a poor jewelers. workman, but
be fell in love with the daughter Of a
wealthy jeweler, 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 diseov-
cred method Of cutting diamonds
would become very wealthy. for up to
that time they knew nothing more
than to scrape on the gravel, and the
diamond was left In its 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 1t 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 he had become
wealthy.
King Charles the Timid was the
principal customer Of Louis de Ber-
quem. The fastldious enemy Of Louis
XI. then possessed a large diamond.
since become celebrated, accounted
among the finest Of precious stones
But this diamond was NJ 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 giittering with light thag 1t
lit up the darkness, and this to such
an extent that the prince said, ut viii
serve me as a night lamp" Berquem
received 1000 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
1t up, sold IT for one gold piece to q
priest, who in turn sold 1t for three
pieces Of gold to merchant, who took
It 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 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 consIdera-
tons Of the cutting Of diamonds as
crlbed to Louis de Berquem at Brus-
sells in 1865.
Hardly any one viii 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.
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 an entire series Of cut diamonds.
There is mention of a fat diamond |
with six sides, Of heart shaped dia-
mond, Of a diamond with eight sides,
Of lozenge shaped diamond, Of dia-
mond pointed on four sides and Of a
reliquary In which was set diamond
cut In the shape Of a shield.
History informs us that 100 years
before the first work Of Louis de Ber.
quem there were at Paris, at the cor
ner Of the Corroyerie, several diamond
cutters.
The Duke Of Burgundy, after a fas-
tic'ous repast given at the Louvre to
the king and the French court in 1908,
offered to hts noble guests eleven dia-
monds estimated to be worth 7s6
pieces Of gold, the money Of the pc
Fiod.
It Is hardly possible to suppose that
these were uncut diamonds; all Of
which goes to prove, Notwithstanding
some opinions, that Louis de Berquenl
did not invent the process Of diamond
cutting.