Tag Archives: jewels

E for Eternity Rings

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Eternal love

How better to declare one’s love but by gifting an eternity ring?

Sometimes called Infinity ring, it is a band set with identical gems throughout. Just as the snake rings represented undying love, eternity rings seem to be the modern fashionable jewellery item to state such devotion.

Traditional materials

It is thought eternity rings have been gifted as far back as the 4th century BC. They were made of plants, such as hemp, or reeds and even elephant hair.

A tradition that went long into the Victorian era. Nowadays, these bands are made with precious metals such as gold and platinum. The stones have evolved from paste to sapphire, ruby in the 18th century to diamonds in the second half of the 20th century.

Engagement rings

Until the 1960s, an engagement ring would traditionally have been set with a diamond single-stone. It is rumoured that due to the surplus of small diamonds, approximately 0.25ct and smaller, the jewellery giant De Beers created a campaign in which they would use these smaller stones, set them in Eternity rings and promote this new essential jewel to couples who had already been married for several years.

Range of price

Eternity rings will come a wide range of price. What will impact this price? Materials such as the metal used will be the first component. A ring can be made of silver, gold or platinum, being the most expensive.

Secondly the stones will affect the budget the most. When an eternity ring is set with precious stones, it is important to remember how much carat weight the ring has as a total but also looking at each stone individually. The larger each single stone is, the pricier the ring as a whole. The “purity” of the stones is an element that cannot be forgotten either. Whether it be rubies, sapphires or diamond, the clearer the stones, the more desirable they are and therefore the more expensive they will be. We refer to this grading scale for diamonds as the four C: colour, carat, cut and clarity.

Navaratna ring

Navaratna – from the Sanskrit Nine (Nava) Gems (Ratna) – jewellery consists of an item of jewellery, necklace, bracelet

or ring, set with nine gems: ruby, diamond, pearl, red coral, hessonite, blue and yellow sapphire, emerald and cat’s eye. The Navaratna rings can be considered as a form of eternity ring, present in almost all Asian countries, beyond India where they originated from, regardless of religion. There are a few rules and traditions as to how to place the stones and how it should be worn. Women are to wear the ring on their left finger while the men on the opposite hand.

The ruby which represents the sun, should be placed in the middle and the gems should be of the upmost quality, making these jewels very precious indeed.

Infinite brands

Eternity rings are so popular that every luxury brand has taken to create and promote them as unique and essential jewels in a lady’s collection.

Tri-factor

Eternity rings possess the tri-factor: they make a statement all the while remaining discreet, and elegant. Who best to illustrate this than the Duchess of Cambridge, who not only wears her wedding band along with her engagement sapphire and diamond cluster ring but also a diamond eternity ring on top. The Eclipse diamond ring by Annoushka, is set with 0.23ct total of diamonds and retails at £1,500. It is said to have been a gift from the Duke of Cambridge for the birth of their first child, Prince George.

Your choice

So when should an eternity ring be gifted? Which finger should be worn on? Which brand to choose? Which gem? Which metal? So many choices to choose from it’s no wonder they have swept the jewellery market with ease. Some might say, it should be gifted after decades of marriage, others prefer to gift it as an engagement band, some may want diamonds, others precious stones such as sapphires. Offered in a variety of style and at various price range, as one of Britain’s favourite matchmaker Cilla Black would say, “The decision is yours”!

B for Boucheron

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Boucheron, a brief history

The luxurious brand’s story starts when Frédéric Boucheron became an apprentice jeweller to Jules Chaise at the young age of 14 in 1844. Descendant from a family of drapers, he seemed to already have a thorough understanding of how to work with delicate fabrics like silk and lace.

He opened his first boutique in 1858 at Palais Royal, in Paris, next to the Louvre. A decade later, he won gold medal at the Exposition Universelle. He partnered with Paul Legrand for several years as chief designer. During their collaboration, Boucheron won the Grand Prix for Outstanding Innovation in a jewellery collection in 1889.

After winning this prize, Frédéric Boucheron opened the first boutique in 1893, Place Vendome in the heart of Paris. He was the first jeweller to take up space in this exquisite location, at n.26 where it is said that it was the sunniest part of the square and “the diamonds would sparkle all the more brilliantly”.

In 1900 he was awarded the Légion d’Honneur for his display at the Exposition Universelle, encapsulating the Art Nouveau style. He died two years later and left the Maison to his son Louis.

Outstanding and Unique Innovation

In 1879, Boucheron created a clasp-less necklace, named the “Point d’Interrogation” (the question mark). It was the first time a jeweller had created a piece of jewellery which women could place on themselves without any assistance if they so wished. Throughout the 164 years the Maison Boucheron has reinvented the style and adapted it to different styles with more or less foliate detail or a more contemporary look. It is its “stylistic approach, featuring asymmetry and curved lines” which make this necklace a signature piece for the jeweller, synonym of freedom and outstanding innovation.

Carat, 159 carat to be exact

Boucheron is synonymous of luxurious jewellery and “drapes” Royalty such as Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Rania of Jordan and some of the most famous women. One of these famous women of the 19th century was Marie-Louise MacKay, married to John MacKay who made his fortune through silver mining in the USA. She was intent on building one of the most important jewellery collections and Boucheron was her go-to jeweller. In 1878, Boucheron was entrusted with setting what was said to be the most beautiful Kashmir sapphire in the world, weighing 159 carats, of oval shape. It was valued at over Francs 700,000.

Hotel de Nocé

The Boucheron store is located in the grand Hotel de Nocé, built in 1717 and named after Charles de Nocé. The building has passed to numerous owners, including Jean-Baptiste-Francois Gigot d’Orcy, who had a passion for minerology. Sometimes the Hotel is called Hotel d’Orcy. The Hotel was home to some of the most famous people such as Marquis de la Baume, the “most expensive boot maker in the world” Yantorny and Countess Castiglione, also known as Virginia Oldoini, ex-mistress to Napoleon III. When Boucheron moved in to the building in 1893, “the most beautiful woman of her century” refused to move out until 1894. Two portraits of the Countess still look down on the boutique to this day.

Boucheron was the first jeweller to take up space on Place Vendome.
When Boucheron was bought in 2016 by the Kering group, they undertook a full restoration of the Hotel.

The façade of the building is listed which means that if Boucheron were to move out, it would be impossible for the new owners to make any changes. The inside was restored to its glorious state, with attention to detail such as Chinese wallpaper restored by Atelier Mériguet-Carrière.

With the renovation came the creation of hotel rooms, where guests come to spend a night within the Boucheron boutique at the heart of Paris.

Princess Eugenie

In 2018, on her wedding day, Princess Eugénie wore the Greville emerald and diamond tiara, initially created by Boucheron in 1900 and set with a 93.70 carat cabochon emerald, mounted in platinum.

The tiara in 1921 after modifications to include the centre emerald and a more geometric style, contemporary of Art Déco jewellery.

The Hon. Mrs Greville, who lived at Polesden Lacey, was a friend of Prince Albert and Elizabeth, Queen Mother. After they were married, the couple spent their honeymoon in Mrs Greville’s home.

In her will, Mrs Greville bequeathed the tiara to the Queen, who in turn lent it to Princess Eugénie for her wedding. It was the first time in over a century, that the Boucheron tiara had been seen in public.

Reflet wristwatch

In 1947, Boucheron created the Reflet wristwatch with interchangeable bracelets. The collection has a rectangular dial with baton hourmarkers and Roman numerals.

The watch comes in stainless steel or gold, with or without diamonds.
Not only was Boucheron the first jewellery to introduce this system, it has also added extra sparkle. Its sapphire glass is particularly magic: a breadth on the glass and the Place Vendome column appears for a brief instant.

Each watch is engraved to the reverse “Je ne sonne que les heures heureuses” (I only ring the happiest hours).

Only women

Traditionally, the jewellery industry has been male-led, but in 2015, Boucheron appointed Hélène Poulit-Duquesne as CEO and Claire Choisne, as Creative Director.

Hélène Poulit-Duquesne graduated from l’ESSEC, one of the most prestigious business school. She began her career in 1998 when she joined LVMH. Later she would join Cartier, where in 2014 she became Director of International Business and Client Development.

Claire Choisne also began her career in 1998. In 2001 she joined Lorenz Baumer as Creative Studio Manager. Over a decade ago, she moved to Boucheron, where she oversees all the jewellery and watches designs.
Boucheron has paved the way, once more, by handing the direction of a leading jeweller to two women, and has created resplendent new collections.

Nagaur necklace

In 2015, Claire Choisne integrated sand from the Thar desert in Rajasthan to include in the new Boucheron collection, the Nagaur necklace.

It is inspired by the Nagaur fortress.

The necklace is set with multiple strings of pearls with the sand encased in the rock crystal pendant, overlaid with diamonds.

The necklace is part of the Bleu de Jodhpur collection which comprises of 105 designs. Claire Choisne, says, “The aim was to create an image of India far from all clichés and stereotypes with the innovation of unused materials. The city of Jodhpur covered with the blue façades of its houses became a strong inspiration. Bold blue represents audacity because of the innovations behind the creations. The link between Jodhpur, the ‘Sun City’, and Boucheron, a jeweller in the ‘City of Light’, made the inspiration more obvious. India has always been an important concept in Boucheron’s creative history with its rich and vibrant heritage, the architecture of its palaces and the colours of its towns and cities. I believe that through audacity and maintaining a clear link between heritage and modernity, one is able to create figurative designs and thus translate this into contemporary high jewellery.”

A revival of the Plume de Paon is now set with marble and diamonds on white gold.

Boucheron is synonymous of luxury and exquisite craftsmanship. Throughout the centuries, the Maison has invented, innovated and reinvented its timeless pieces, moving through the fashions and adapting to contemporary designs. It undoubtedly has the “je ne sais quoi” that great and unrivalled French jewellers have.

 

Australian Opal

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According to Aboriginal legend a giant rainbow snake formed the main rivers throughout Australia when he slithered across the land in search of water. The water in Australia is said to be blessed by the Rainbow Serpent, as water is one of the necessities of life. Without the Great Artisian Basin, a body of water under the Australian Earth, opal would not have been formed. There are therefore great connections between the Rainbow Serpent and the opals of Australia.

Opals are truly mesmerizing treasures of the earth, the way their vibrant colours dance with the light. Australia has been the main producer of opals since the 19th century. Opal is a hardened silica gel composed of tiny silica spheres and the stunning iridescence seen in opal is caused by the way these little spheres interact and diffract light. The larger the spheres the greater the range of colours.

Many people believe opals to be unlucky because it is quite common for opal stones to fall out of their setting and be lost. However, this is not because of some great curse, it is due to the fact that opals are composed of 5-10% water and over time they can dry out and shrink and therefore become loose and fall out of jewellery settings.

The major mines in Australia can be found in Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia. When valuing and grading an opal it needs to be assessed under the correct light source. It needs to be examined holistically – face up but also underneath, if the setting allows, so that any defects, holes, and fractures can be taken into consideration. The following factors determine the value: the opal type – i.e. solid black, grey, white, crystal type, The origin, body tone, play of colour, colour depth percentage, colour pattern, shape, cut, polish, weight, dimensions, visual inclusions, condition, and provenance.

One of the most famous Australian opals is The Aurora Australis. It was discovered in 1938 in Lighting Ridge (NSW) in an old seabed. Its body colour is black which highlights the dramatic play of colour of intense blues, greens, and reds. It got its name because it resembled the brightness of the Southern Lights. It weighs 180cts and has been cut and polished into an oval shape. It is said to be worth an estimated $1,000,000 AUD.

Opal can also be found in other countries such as Ethiopia, USA and Mexico, however Australian opal is considered the finest. As with most gemstones there are many synthetic opals and opals that have been artificially enhanced on the market. Slocum stone is a man-made glass that imitates the play of colour in opal. Gilson imitation opal has a very defined mosaic pattern which can be detected under magnification that is said to resemble chicken wire.

Black opal is the most highly prized and valuable, however before purchasing the consumer should be aware of treatments such as ‘smoking’. The opal is wrapped in paper and the paper is heated to a temperature that makes it smoulder. The smouldering paper then releases fine black particles of soot that enter the pores of the opal and darken its body colour.

The darker body colour contrasts with the opal’s play-of-colour, making it appear stronger and more obvious. Many Ethiopian opals are smoked and consequently are less valuable. The question is can you tell the difference?

“In precious opals there might be a dash of red here, a seductive swirl of blue there, and in the center, perhaps, a flirtatious glance of green. But each stone flickers with a unique fire and a good opal is one with an opinion of its own.” Victoria Finlay

What jewellery does Santa wear?

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We all know at this time of year Santa is extremely busy, up against a very tight deadline. I’ve not come across Santa myself, but in my imagination, he surely must be wearing a pocket watch so he can keep on top of his schedule and targets in good time. And let’s not forget he has a lot to do in just 24 hours so time is of the essence.

In my mind, the pocket watch is mounted in yellow gold, with delicate floral chasing. Chasing is a technique where the jeweller outlines a design by pushing back the gold around the edges to define the motif. I would imagine the watch to be old, dating from the late 19th century, and so it would also be decorated with some guilloché enamel, perhaps blue or pink; Santa is dapper and I am sure he appreciates a touch of colour outside of his red and white suit. Guilloché is one of my favourite techniques of applying enamel. It creates all sorts of highly elaborate patterns which adds elegance to any piece of jewellery. Perhaps the watch has both pink and blue enamel: a pink guilloché enamel bezel overlaid with blue enamelled Arabic numerals. The hands would be discreet, also made of gold. It is most likely suspended by a fine pinchbeck chain, terminating in a barrel clasp decorated with turquoise cabochons.

Pinchbeck chains are named after an 18th century London clockmaker, who used a combination of copper and zinc to make it resemble gold. Gold only came in 18ct at the time and was expensive. This new technique allowed people to purchase gold-like jewellery.

The pocket watch might look something like this:

To the reverse, the pocket watch would enclose a photograph of his wife Mary.

Santa probably has family heirlooms too such as a signet ring set with a stone. That stone could be lapis lazuli (blue with specks of “gold” pyrite), onyx (black) or carnelian (red) for example. The ring could be set with a carnelian intaglio mounted in gold. Intaglio is the technique of carving into the stone to depict a portrait for example. Santa’s intaglio would be carved with a cherub to represent all the children of the world.

He most likely also has another signet ring set with a bloodstone: green jasper with specks of red hematite, the stone of courage. It is engraved with his initials “SC”, the motto “No child to far to reach” and a family crest depicting his reindeers and helpers. Santa can then seal all his letters, replying to the children who have written to him throughout the year.

Santa also wears cufflinks under his red suit. One might be able to get a glance at them when he is in his workshop perhaps, when he is not wearing his red jacket. The cufflinks are by Cartier, from the Santos line. They are square plaques set with malachite, a green stone, set in palladium. They are chic and timeless, Cartier’s signature.

I believe Santa also wears a necklace, a gold box chain.

It suspends the very important keys to his sleigh but also several small pendants which represent all the faiths of the world, throughout time.

Lastly, I think Santa wears a bracelet symbolising his reindeers. It is of chevron design, mounted in rubber and silver. Here an example of what it might look like by David Yurman.

It echoes ancient jewellery that used strands of braided human hair set as bracelets.

The same technique was used with elephant hair.

These are the jewels I imagine Santa to be wearing, but I’m sure whatever he wears he looks dashing! Here’s hoping I might finally get a glimpse of him this Christmas. Wishing you all Happy Holidays.

 

David Morris Jewellers

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David Morris is affectionately known as ‘The London Jeweller’. The prestigious shop in Bond Street continues to attract royalty and high end clientele with the spectacular creations that are intricately created there. Each piece is handcrafted to the highest standard in the workshop above the store. Although it is one of the last remaining jewellery workshops in Bond Street, it’s reputation continues to shine, putting British jewellery design firmly on the map of world class jewellers.

David Morris started his career as an apprentice in Hatton Garden at the age of 15. His love and natural creative flare for jewellery design led to the opening of his first shop in Hatton Garden in 1962. After winning The De Beers Diamond Awards two years in a row he started attracting real international acclaim. As the reputation and success of the David Morris brand grew, the company relocated to Mayfair in 1969 and then to it’s current home in Bond Street in 1996.

In amongst the glamour and the grandeur, the David Morris brand prides itself on being very much a family jewellers. In 2003 Jeremy Morris took over the helm of the company from his father as managing director and principal designer.

The company proudly states on their website: “A marriage of beauty and technology, in its approach to design and craftsmanship David Morris is as wonderfully unique as its collection of rare gemstones. Whether it is a piece from our beautiful fine jewellery collections or a bespoke creation, David Morris jewellery transcends generations, each design expressing ingenuity, creativity and unparalleled quality.”

Some of the unique creations include The Miss World Crown. It was originally commissioned by Eric Morely,  the founder of the Miss World Competition in 1969. He was inspired by the breath-taking sapphire and diamond tiara Morris had created in 1967 for the Countess Marie Kinsky of Austria on her wedding day, in her marriage to Crown Prince Hans Adam of Lichenstein. The stunning turquoise and diamond crown is still used in the competition today.

In 2012 the silver dragon on the bonnet of the vintage Aston Martin the Duke of Cambridge drove down the Mall on his wedding day was made by David Morris. Originally commissioned by the Queen for Prince Charles’s 21st birthday.

I recently had the privilege of valuing some David Morris pieces. Including these beautiful hoops from the Rose Collection. These exquisite rose cut diamond hoops are composed of four graduated rose cut diamonds, each within a brilliant cut diamond surround, with further scintillating micro set diamond detail to the inside of the hoop and clip. The total carat weight is approximately 3.40cts. These were originally purchased in 2008 for £12,500. The current retail price for these earrings is now £38,700. This example not only illustrates the strength and popularity of David Morris designs, it also highlights the importance of getting an updated jewellery valuation because prices and values can change dramatically over time. Doerr Valuations are delighted to be hosting a Wednesday Club event at David Morris on the 15th December. It will be a unique opportunity to see some of the stunning pieces in the current range and to find out more about the diamonds, gems and fascinating creative process from their experienced sales team. I for one cannot wait.

Harry Winston

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He was known as ‘The King Of Diamonds’ and ‘The Jeweller to the Stars’. He inspired a legendary brand based on the philosophy that jewellery design should be dictated by the gemstones themselves and not their settings. He used to carry around in his pocket some of the rarest diamonds in the world, worth millions of dollars, just for the pleasure of having them close by.

He is famed for saying “I love the diamond business. It’s a Cinderella world. It has everything! People! Drama! Romance! Precious stones! Speculation! Excitement! What more could you want?”. Perhaps his most well know statement: “People will stare, make it worth their while”

Harry Winston worked at his fathers jewellery shop and developed a keen eye for jewellery and gems from an early age. There’s a story that when he was 12, he spotted a green stone at the local pawn brokers which was supposedly glass and cost him 25 cents. It turned out to be a 2ct emerald which Winston sold a couple of days later for $800!

In 1920 he launched his first business in New York, The Premier Diamond Company, and in 1932 he opened Harry Winston Inc. His insistence on excellence, attention to detail, passion, discretion and knowledge attracted a high profile clientele including royalty, movie stars and business moguls.

Winston was one of the first big brand jewellers to truly understand the power of celebrity marketing. In 1943 the actress Jennifer Jones was adorned with Harry Winston diamonds at the Academy Awards. Ann Bancroft seduced Dustin Hoffman in the movie The Graduate wearing Winston diamonds, and not much else. In the movie Gentlemen prefer Blonds Marilyn Monroe sings those famous lyrics “ Talk to me Harry Winston…” in the song Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend.

In 1968 he used publicity to his advantage once again when the 601ct Lesotho diamond was cleaved on live TV! It went on to be cut into eighteen magnificent diamonds including the 40.42ct marquise cut Lesotho III which Aristotle Onassis gave to Jacqueline Kennedy as an engagement ring.

Throughout his career it is estimated that Harry Winston owned more than a third of the worlds most famous diamonds. Perhaps the most well known being The Hope Diamond. This beautiful blue diamond weighing 45.52cts is seeped in history and believed to be cursed. It is said to have attributed to many misfortunes in the lives of its owners such as King Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette. Winston purchased it in 1949 as part of the Mclean Jewellery Estate. He held on to it for ten years and exhibited it around the US as part of his ‘Court of Jewels’. He went on to donate it to the Smithsonian museum where it resides today.

Many recognised his jewels but few recognised the man himself. He was very rarely photographed and many did not know his face until it was published next to his obituary in 1978. Discretion was paramount to this man and it is said he had a concealed private elevator in his office so he and his VIP clients could come and go without being noticed.

Harry’s legacy lives on in The House Of Winston as they continue to deal with legendary stones. In March 2021 to celebrate what would have been Harry’s 125th birthday,they unveiled the Winston Pink Legacy Diamond ring, a vivid pink diamond weighing 18.96cts. Nayla Hayek bought the diamond from Christies in 2018 for a record breaking $50 million. It now forms part of the Incredibles Collection.

Harry Winston continues to thrive as a leading brand in the world of luxury jewellers, with stores all over the world including New York, London, Tokyo and Paris.

The breath-taking gems and designs continue to attract the rich and famous.

These stunning Winston Cluster earrings, composed of high quality diamonds with the largest pear-shape weighing 0.75ct, currently retail for £53,000.

When was the last time you had your jewellery valued? Please ensure your documentation is up to date to avoid a shortfall in compensation in the event of loss.

The French Crown Jewels – Transformations and Fate of The Collection

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Aurélia Turrall, Jewellery Specialist

Louis XV did not add to the collection but instead had stones recut. He especially had the Côte-de-Bretagne recut in the shape of a dragon to be set in the Golden Fleece. By recutting it, the stone now weighs almost half of what it did.

Replica of the Golden Fleece

The Côte-de-Bretagne and the Golden fleece are amongst the very few pieces ever to be found after the great theft of 1792. Over the course of a few days, thousands of jewels,tapestries and furniture was stolen at the Hotel de la Marine, the royal storage since 1775. No one knows who exactly is responsible for the heist and accusations were made against everyone. Many were executed by guillotine, which had been moved in front of the Hotel de la Marine as a statement. Other thieves survived by revealing the whereabouts of the jewels and furniture. The Sancy and blue diamond were lost, but the Côte-de-Bretagne was found in Holland, where it was recut and sold in England. It was later brought back to France along with the Regent.

Napoleon added to the collection over the years.

“Napoleon” diamond necklace, Smithsonian Museum

In 1814, when Louis XVIII came to power, the crown jewels counted 65,072 stones and pearls: 57,771 diamonds, 5,630 pearls, 1,671 coloured stones (424 rubies, 66 sapphires, 57emeralds, 235 amethysts, 547 turquoise, 24 cameos, 14 opals and 89 topaz).

Charles X had some diamonds set in a sword. The sword was modified by Napoleon III, by adding bee motifs and number III. It was stolen from the Louvre in 1976 remains lost to this day.
During the III Republic, the Crown jewels were exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in 1878 and again in 1887 at the Louvre. In 1882 a vote was put forward by Benjamin Raspail to decommission the Crown jewels to be sold and dispersed. The Republic wanted nothing to do with Royalty. The vote was 325 yes against 85 no. Luckily the Regent and Côte-de-Bretagne were given to the Louvre and the Musée des Mines.

The Crown jewels were offered for sale a few years later in 1887 over the course of 9 sessions at the Louvre. The sale was a success for the government but a historical and gemmological disaster. Gems were unset so none would be traceable to a particular monarch or piece of jewellery. The biggest buyers were Boucheron, Tiffany and Van Cleef. Bapst Frères also purchased many in order to keep the gems in France.

Tiffany sold many pieces to American heiress who wanted a piece of history and French aristocracy. William Waldorf Astor purchased the Sancy and donated it to the Louvre. Over the last 70 years, the Louvre has tried to buy back as many pieces as possible. There are currently 23 pieces in the Apollo Gallery.

 

The French Crown Jewels – Greatest Acquisitions and Additions to The Collection

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Henri IV and his wife Catherine de Medicis decided to rebuild and add to the collection of the Crown jewels. Nicolas Harlay de Sancy was in charge of Henri IV finances. He owned two diamonds which he purchased from the King of Portugal. He recut these and named them Grand Sancy and Beau Sancy. He offered to sell the Sancy to Henri IV who declined stating it was too expensive. Instead, he bought the Beau Sancy.

The diamonds most likely came from India and could have been part of the jewels belonging to Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy 1467-1477. Amongst his jewels were the White Rose diamond. It is rumoured the Sancy could be the same stone.

The Beau Sancy, K colour, light brown, SI1 clarity, type IIa (type IIa diamonds are chemically “cleaner” and often have exceptional clarity) weighing 34.98 carats. In 1610, Marie de Medicis had the Beau Sancy set atop her coronation crown.

The following day, Henri IV was murdered by Ravaillac. For four centuries the diamond was owned by several European Royal houses, such as the House of Medici, Kings of England and Prussia. It was sold by Sotheby’s in 2012 for £5.3 million to a private collector.

The Sancy weighs 55.23 carats. It has 51 facets and was considered to be one of the most beautiful diamond for almost two centuries until the Cullinan was found in 1905 in South Africa.

It was purchased by James I for 60,000 French crowns and was set in the Mirror of Great Britain.

The Sancy was described in the Tower of London’s inventory as “…one fayre dyamonde, cut in fawcetts, bought of Sauncy…”

The Sancy was briefly owned by Charles I, King of England and then by his son James II. James had to flee to France under Louis XIV protection and brought with him the Sancy which he agreed to sell to Cardinal Mazarin in 1657 for £25,000.

Cardinal Mazarin was advisor to the young Louis XIV. Incredibly wealthy with a fortune said to be worth 22 tonnes of gold, he purchased gems and jewels which he will then bequeath to Louis XIV on his death with the condition that these could not be sold, had to remain all together and would be called the “Mazarins”.

Amongst those were 12 stones which he purchased from Henrietta Maria, Queen Consort of England, wife of Charles I in exile from England. These stones are the foundation of the 18 “Mazarins”.

Louis XIV added to his collection by purchasing the Diamant de Guise in 1665 and in 1673 the Hortensia diamond, a pink 21.32 carat diamond.
Most, if not all diamonds came from India, more accessible than Borneo where diamonds were also found. During one of his last trips, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier brought back the “Tavernier Blue” which became the “Grand bleu de Louis XIV”. It weighed approximately 115.40 carats.

It was stolen in the great theft of 1792 and recut, down to 69 carats. It is said to be the well-known cursed Hope diamond, recut to prevent proper identification.

Tavernier also brought back the Grand Sapphire of Louis XIV, of Ceylon origin. The king purchased it in 1669 and weighs 135.80 carats. It was believed that sapphires could cure plagues which is why it was never cut. I is exhibited in Paris.

In 1691 an inventory was drawn up stating that there were: 5,885 diamonds, 1,588 coloured gems, 488 pearls adding to a total of 11,430,481 pounds.

The Regent diamond was added to the collection a few years later, bought by the Duke of Orléans in 1717, then Regent of France, for £135,000 (the equivalent of £21 million). It had taken two years to cut, 1703-1705, and finally weighed 140.64 carats.

It was considered to be the most beautiful and clean diamond, until the Cullinan, becoming a symbol of the French crown.

In 1722, the Regent was set at the front of Louis XV coronation the crown, the Sancy at the top of the fleur-de-lys alongside Mazarin diamonds.

It was subsequently set in Louis XVI coronation crown in 1775. In 1791 is was valued at £480,000 (the equivalent of £58 million).

Having won the Campagnes d’Italie (wars in Italy), a superstitious Napoleon had the Regent set in his sword in 1812, convinced it had made him win the wars. It was later set in Princess Eugenie’s diadem in 1825.

 

The French Crown Jewels – Early Jewels

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Francis I, French king from 1515-1547, decided to differentiate personal jewels to those belonging to the State. At the time, jewels were used to finance wars and for political purposes. In 1530 he selected 8 gems and jewels. Kings and Queens would enjoy these gems and jewels throughout their reign but the collection would be inalienable and had to be passed down on their death. The collection included three spinels called “balais rubies”, from the north region of Afghanistan called Badakhchan. In many crown jewels, spinels are described as rubies.

The most important was the Côte-de-Bretagne, a 214 carat spinel, probably from Pakistan. Originally it was an odd-shaped stone, with three points.

The stone belonged to Anne de Bretagne, wife of Louis XII and are linked to how Brittany became part of France.

The Côte-de-Bretagne is the only “survivor” of the original collection put together by Francois Ier. It has been pawned several times, coming and going numerous times. It has stood the test of time but not intact; re-cut for Louis XV in the shape of a dragon, bringing its weight down to 107 carats. The stone is so large that it could have financed a whole city at the time.

The other spinels were the Oeuf de Naples (the egg of Naples, top) a 247 carat spinel added by Francis II, and l’A-Romain (the Roman A, for Anne of Brittany, bottom).

A diamond pendant was amongst the 1565 inventory of Mary Stuart. It was a diamond pendant with table cut diamonds, bought to her by her husband, Francis II, when she was Queen consort of France between 1559 and 1560.

He also purchased the Great Table, a 41 carat diamond, worth 212kgs of gold. 30 years after Francis I death, his grandson Henri III pawned the Crown jewels, against his grandfather’s wishes, in order to pay for the religious wars. Very few jewels were bought back but the Côte-de-Bretagne was miraculously recovered.

Crown Jewels of The United Kingdom – Early Jewels

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The crown jewels are a collection of jewellery that belong to the Queen in right of the Crown. They are comprised of heirlooms and jewels presented to her during her reign. The Queen regularly wears these pieces in official portraits and formal occasions. The jewels will be passed down to the next Monarch and will be worn to further ceremonies and coronation.
From Henry VIII to Queen Elizabeth II, the monarchs have purchased and been gifted with the most important pieces of the collection.

Jewellery and diamonds in particular have always played a big part in history, being traded, stolen, gifted, looted. Coloured gems have different meanings depending on the country but diamonds is, across the board, the one gem which symbolises power and wealth. Its origin comes from the Greek adamas, which signifies invincible. Every monarch has been depicted in portrait adorned with diamonds.

King Henry VIII is painted wearing black stones in this portrait, but these are in fact diamonds. Diamonds were not depicted in all their glory radiating light and clarity until much later. At this time, the painter’s workshop would complete the painting and did not have access to the gems, therefore altering the diamonds’ colours.

Queen Elizabeth I obtained the Mirror of Portugal from Dom Antonio, fleeing to England after being defeated by the Spanish. He sold the stone, a table-cut diamond weighing 30 carats, to the monarch in an attempt to finance more battles against Spain. Defeated once more, Queen Elizabeth now has hold of the diamond. She has the diamond set in a gold pendant within an enamel surround, suspended from gold chains.

The Queen is shown wearing gold and jewellery in her hair but also on her garment.

The Mirror of Portugal is then bequeathed to James I. It will later be sold to Cardinal Mazarin and recut into the Mazarin III. The Mazarin III was stolen in 1792 during the great heist of the Garde Meuble in Paris and has yet to be recovered.

One of the most famous diamonds to have been part of the Crown jewels is the Sancy. It weighs 55.23 carats, has 51 facets and was considered to be one of the most beautiful diamond for almost two centuries until the Cullinan was found in 1905 in South Africa.

It was purchased by James I for 60,000 French crowns and was set in the Mirror of Great Britain.

The Sancy was described in the Tower of London’s inventory as “…one fayre dyamonde, cut in fawcetts, bought of Sauncy…”

The Sancy was briefly owned by Charles I, King of England and then by his son James II. James had to flee to France under Louis XIV protection and brought with him the Sancy which he agreed to sell to Cardinal Mazarin in 1657 for £25,000. The Sancy is now exhibited in the Louvre.

Anne of Denmark, consort of James I, seen in this portrait wearing large jewels on her corsage, pearl necklace and earrings, diamond in her hair.

After 1725, diamonds were heavily imported from Brazil, as new sources were discovered. Diamonds are then preferred to coloured gems.

Queen Charlotte is painted wearing diamond diadem, girandole earrings, a diamond dog collar and pearls. Girandole earrings were very fashionable in the 18th century and named after a candelabra. They comprise of a central stone suspending three drops.