It was stolen in 1792 but a new track appeared: the story of the blue diamond, the lost jewel of the French crown

It was stolen in 1792 but a new track appeared: the story of the blue diamond, the lost jewel of the French crown

The French crown jewelry collection is exhibited in the Louvre Museumin Paris, making it one of the most visited rooms. There, rubies, emeralds, diamond, jewelry and all kinds of precious stones that belonged to the royal family are shown. All are loaded not only of high economic value, but also historical.

But there is a great absent in the exhibition: the Blue diamondknown as Bleu de France (Blue from France). This piece of goldsmiths was one of the king’s badges Louis XIV and his successor, Louis XV. But, this precious jewel went from hand to hand in the time of revolution, to finally, be stolen in 1792.

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After losing his trace, nothing more was known about the legendary treasure. Until the 21st century, a couple of years ago, a blue diamond appeared, assuming a possible track. What about Hopethe diamond who appeared without anyone can establish their origin?

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The blue diamond, the jewel of French royalty

In 1668, Jean-Baptiste Taverniera French adventurer and merchant, arrived in Versailles with a series of diamonds of great value that he had acquired in Golconda, India. The greatest of them was A piece of 115 carats (about 20 grams) and a bluish tonewhich caught the attention of Louis XIVthe king. Although, at that time, Color diamonds were considered impure, The size and characteristics of this piece made it an exception.

The Sun King paid 220,000 pounds (equivalent to 150 kilograms of pure gold) for her, and added it to the so-called “Curiosities Cabinet” of Saint-Germain-in-Laye Castle. In 1671, the monarch gave the diamond to Jean Pittan, the jeweler of the court, who inserted him in a gold brooch that King Lucia in the great ceremonies and dances.

Inheriting him, his son, Louis XV He gave the jewel a new life. Since after being named Knight of the Gold Toison Order In 1749, the king made the gem insert in the institution’s badge. For this, the jeweler Pierre-Andre Jacquemin, Ide Blue diamond as the main piece.

But, the story of this real jewel changed with the beginning of the Revolution. All jewelry were transferred from Versailles to Garde-Meblethe deposit of royalty goods, at the Hotel de la Marine, a building near the current Plaza de la Concordia.

Royal Treasury theft

Thirrey Ville-D’avray He was an assistant to King Louis XVI and was responsible for the transfer of the crown jewels. But, his rapid enrichment raised suspicions. Thus, the Assembly made an inventory of the custody pieces and discovered that, the now mayor of the Garde-Meble, had stayed with nine chests with gems of the royal jeweler, which he kept at home.

After the arrest and imprisonment of Ville-D’Avray, the jewels were reimbursed to Garde-Meble. There they remained until, the September 11, 1792some criminals raffled the surveillance of the National Guard, forced the rear doors and They stole the real treasure.

The thieves repeated this operation several consecutive nights: nine thousand jewelswhich included the brilliant sword of Louis XVI, the Chapelle of Cardinal Richelieu, and gems such as Diamond Sancy and the Blue Diamond were stolen.

The main responsible were arrested, but a questionable and generous trial makes suspect if there was no interested hand in provoking it. One of the doubts without answers is whether about this robbery was a maneuver to get funds with which to finance the war.

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A new track that reveals its whereabouts

In 1793 part of the loot was recovered. Some of the important pieces appeared, such as the Diamond Regent that was located in a barn in Paris. But, yet there were no blue diamond traces. Some investigations suggest that the gem remained under the power of Guillot, a cadet that was present in the assault, and that after fleeing to England and trying to sell it, it was imprisoned.

But a new hope appears for years after theft. In 1812appeared in the hands of Daniel Eliansona London diamond negotiator, a blue diamond of 45.5 carats and oval shapewhose origin nobody could establish. The piece was bought Thomas Collector Hopewho gave his name to the “new” diamond.

Its owners wore the Hope Diamond in the great universal exhibition of London of 1851 and in the Universal Exhibition of Paris of 1855. That was when Charles Barbotthe French gemologist first related this jewel with the precious missing gem. Stating that it could be the lost blue diamond.

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In 1901 it was acquired by Simon Frankel, who took it to New York. There, she was auctioned again on different occasions, until she ended up in the hands of collector Harry Winston, who donated her in 1958 to Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution of Washingtonwhere it remains today.

But in him 21st centurythese speculations take a more real character. After years without evidence to prove it, in 2007the mineralogist Francois Frageswho was in charge of the Natural History Museum of Paris, discovered a Lead mold of the blue diamond that was forgotten in the institution’s stores.

According to Frages, when overlapping them, The Hope fits perfectly in the bright mold hung from the Toison necklace. The thieves would have retalled the Gema of Louis XIV, of triangular appearance, to give it an oval shape. Three years later, together with the jeweler Herbet Horovitz, they presented a replica of the alhaja.

Thus, they revealed the history and whereabouts of this Unique diamond that, for two centuries, He was lost.

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Source: Ambito

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