Diamonds and precious stones, a popular account of gems .. . ss in Europe,and would well become the crown of France, andthat the purchase of it would shed glory on theregency of the duke. The latter at last consented,and the diamond was bought for $384,000, the sellerreceiving also the fragments resulting from thecutting, with interest on the price until the wholewas paid. From that time the Regent became identifiedwith the fortunes of France, and a chapter of his-toric details belongs to its career. It has passedthrough many revolutions, and it has passed—veryliterally—through many hands; for
Diamonds and precious stones, a popular account of gems .. . ss in Europe,and would well become the crown of France, andthat the purchase of it would shed glory on theregency of the duke. The latter at last consented,and the diamond was bought for $384,000, the sellerreceiving also the fragments resulting from thecutting, with interest on the price until the wholewas paid. From that time the Regent became identifiedwith the fortunes of France, and a chapter of his-toric details belongs to its career. It has passedthrough many revolutions, and it has passed—veryliterally—through many hands; for in the days CELEBRATED DIAMONDS. 89 that followed the fall of Louis XVL, the Regent,carefully chained and guarded by gendarmes, wasexposed to the people of Paris; and any half-starvedworkman who chose might hold this symbol ofroyal splendour and epitome of twelve million francsfor a few moments in his brown hand. The Regent—pawned to the Batavian govern-ment by Napoleon I.—stolen by robbers, and itshiding-place revealed at the gate of death by one. Fig- 37-—Empress Eugénie. of the reckless band, and mounted in the statesword of the first Napoleon—finally glittered in theimperial diadem, through the palmy days ofNapoleon III. Another beautiful diamond is the Empress Eu-génie. It is cut as a brilliant, and weighs 51 carats. A third famous diamond, belonging for sometime to France, is the Sancy. Its history is notquite certain. According to some authorities itwas brought by an ambassador from Constanti- 90 PRECIOUS STONES. nople; according to others, it ornamented the hel-met of Charles the Bold, who lost it at the battle ofGranson. It was found by a Swiss soldier, whosold it to a priest for two francs; it disappearedthen for some time, until, in the year 1589, KingAnthony of Portugal pledged it among otherstones to De Sancy, then treasurer of the Kingof France, who retained it by paying 100,000 livres
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