The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1910-02-12
THE SANCY DIAMOND
Legend Of Louis Dc Bsrqusm and
The cslebratsd Gem.
A NIGHT LAMP FOR A KING

chssasrsd carssr q tks Brilliant ets~s
ASsse the Dseth u Charles ths Tlsasd.
ss~ss Fasas Ahsvt the is~snsIs~ u
oIem,sNd cuttIns.
Louis de Besquem, says tradition.
was q poor jewelers. workman. bat
be fell in love with the daughter Of .
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 q 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 its native state.
Nelher lime, IRE nor the mill could At
fec. the diamond.
After many Investigations and deep
thought Louis bethought himself that
Iron is fashioned with steel. which u
only hardened iron. and 1t occurred to
him that perhaps the diamond would
yield to the diamond. He made an
experiment, which was ut once crown
I'd with success.
A few days later be presented him
self before the rich jsweier with two
diamonds cut into facets. He obtained
the hand be sought and amassed q
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 Der.
QUEEN. The fastidious enemy Of Louis
NJ. then possessed large diamond,
since become celebrated. accounted
among the finest Of precious stones
But this diamond was III shapen, and
the fires which 1t 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" Eerquem
received 5000 ducats for bis work.
As for the diamond. this il 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
priest, who In turn sold 1t for three
pieces Of gold to n 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 4 for 10000
francs to one Of the companions OF
Henri III. Nicholas de Harlay. baron
Of sancy. Since this time the 6rst
large diamond to be cut Is known "a
''the fancy"
This legend leads to other considera-
lions Of the cutting Of diamonds as
cribed to Louis de Bcrquem at Brus-
sells in 1905.
Hardly any one will 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
Berauem cutting was known In India.
Even In Europe We find among the
treasures of the churches thick Ola.
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 An1ou. Is
found an entire series Of cut diamonds
There Is mention of a dat diamond
with six sides. Of heart shaped dia'
mond. Of diamond with eight sides
Of a lozenge shaped diamond. Of dia-
mond pointed on four Sides and Of q
reliquary In which was set diamond
cut in the shape Of shield.
History informs us that 40 years
before the first work Of Louis de Der