Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-25

PARIS: The Regent is home, all
143 carats of flashing fire. I wasn't
stolen by the Germans after all. Al
gala welcoming party was held for
the press and friends of the Louvre
when the Regent returned home and
long lines Of Parisiennes and visiting
GIs could be seen waiting to file by
for look.
The biggest diamond in France and
one of the sole remaining treasures
of the French crown jewels has been
hiding away in the chateau country
for the second time in its history. On
the first occasion the glittering cube
of gemstone which is over an inch
square and three-quarters of an inch
deep, fed Paris in the satin reticule
OF Marie Louise. The Empress was
looking for a quiet place in the
country" while her husband, the
Emperor Napoleon, went into exile.
She thought she might need the
diamond as pledge for food and
lodging. In this more recent Journey
south the Regent travelled by mes
senger in company with other Jewels
from the Louvre collection. They
were hidden behind a secret panel of
stone at Chambord, a chateau which
has a diamond history of its own.
Chambord was the favorite seat
and hunting lodge of Francis I, q
much earlier monarch than Ma
poleon. Francis was also fond of the
Duchesse d'EtampeS-and very jeal-
GUS of her. One day he scratched a
message on glass window pane at
the top of flight of steps where he
knew she would see it. He wrote the
message with the diamond point of
a ring WORN on his index finger
said to be the first use of the dia-
mond as writing point. The Kings
composition was rhymed couplet
which might be translated thus: e,
Tickle, tickle are the femmes;
Men are dumb to trust in them
Francis sister, Marguerite, dis
covered the message before the
Duchess and added her own COM
mentary:
n Men are. often CLEANSING, too;
Only fools believe them true"
The pane OF glass later disappeared
but for a century it was the most
famous detail of Chambord. The
chateau is now under state control.
Even more interesting from the
American viewpoint is the associa-
ton of the Regent with our own his
tory. Formerly called the Pitt, it
was owned by Thomas Pitt, great
grandfather of William Pitt of Rev.
dictionary fame, and it's sale for well
over a half million dollars founded
the Pitt family fortunes. The gem
was one of the largest diamonds ever
mined, weighing 40 carats before
faceting. Splinters from the cleav-
ing and diamond dust ground away
IN two years of polishing brought
another $45.000 to the owner.
| When the Pitt was sold it went to
the Duke of Orleans, Regent of
France, and was then renamed the
Regent. 1t became part of the
French crown jewels. It's only rival
in beauty was large blue diamond
/ which some gem experts identify
with the Hope Blue, now owned by
Mrs. Edward B. Mclean of Wash
ington. The Regent and the blue
stone were stolen the same night
from the French treasury by revo-
lutionary mobs, but the thieves later
dropped the Regent and it was
picked up in Paris gutter. Napoleon
set it in ms CORONATION sword The
Regent has also been called 1.-THE
Millionaire" and is so priced for its
historic associations that when the
French crown jewels were put up at
auction the government requested
that the Regent be withheld from
bidding.
A special glass jewel box was built
for the diamond in the famed GAL