World's Top Diamonds

The Sancy Diamond

The Sancy Diamond has one of the most important, the colors and the confusion between history and the involvement of all famous diamonds in Europe. A 55.23 carat yellow shield in the form of stone, apparently of Indian origin, are said to be one of the first large diamonds cut with symmetrical facets. Stone is also unusual because there is no wing - just a few crowns, one on the other.

In 1570, and the stone was purchased in Constantinople by the French ambassador in Turkey, and Nicolas Harle, Sancy, the Lord, who were avid collectors of gems and jewelry. This sense of personal adornment was more pronounced in 1500 and 1600 in Europe more than any other place, except in the east. He wears it to France, where Henry III, which is very sensitive about bald, borrowed to decorate a small was always wearing a hat to hide his baldness. Sancy was a prominent figure in the French court at the time. Henry was hurt, but to no avail, and the weakness of the son of Catherine de Medici.

During the next period, when the Sancy was Director of Finance, Henry IV Jawharat borrowed as collateral for the loan for the recruitment of senior soldiers. Sent a messenger with the pearl, but not arrive at their destination; thieves followed him. Knowing that the man was loyal, Sancy a paper, and discovered his body buried, and the employee who has been on the diamond!
Sancy sold the diamond to James I, in 1605 the inventory of the jewels in the Tower of London, the jewel in their description in a language other than normal in the period as follows: "... a Fire diamonds, cut Fawcett of Sauncy bought. "

Until 1669 in England. Charles I, son of James I, was beheaded and his widow, Henrietta Maria, a presentation of the jewel of Somerset, Earl of Worcester, including the agreed again to the British Crown. James II held at a later date, but lost in the Battle of the Boyne disaster and fled to France. But Louis XIV, and was nice and generous to host James, Ruth, sad, bored, and the kings of denial. James, and despair, and sold the stone to the greedy king who was known for his love of diamonds. Lewis and gave him $ 25,000, but much to convince James to the value of gems and security in times of distress.

According to the latest dated jewel, Sancy was sold under different circumstances. During the civil war, and Queen Henrietta Maria to the continent, and pledged, with other diamonds, to the Duke of 460,000 Epernon liver. In 1657, and Cardinal MAZARIN paid, and the duke, and with the consent of the Queen, and seized jewels and other inherited a beautiful stone with Louis XIV.

In 1792, at the beginning of the French Revolution, Sancy and other famous gems were stolen from the Gerda Meuble (Royal Treasury) in Paris. Appeared in 1828 and sold to a French merchant prince Anatoly Demitasse of Russia, the prince, in turn, sold, recorded in 1865 at $ 100,000. Two years later, and was introduced by the French jewelry, G. Bapst, in Paris, with the introduction of a price of Fr 1,000,000 (million francs).

In 1906 William Waldorf Astor bought Sancy as a wedding, when his son (later 2nd Viscount Astor) married Nancy centuries from the State of Virginia. Astor woman often wearing a shield in the form of a jewel in the crown of the events. In 1962, was one of the characteristics of some ten centuries of French jewelry exhibit at the Museum of the Louvre. Even after the death of a woman in 1964, celebrates her son inherited stone, 3rd Viscount Astor. It is the jewel in the assembly to be attached to the President of decoration.
The maharaja of Natalie as ownership Sancy Diamond. "Although this stone is similar in shape, weighing 60.40 carats, which is about ten percent more than most of the Sancy Astor family. Sancy is now in residence in the Louvre in Paris.

Michael Hing, a jeweler from whom Great Britain has met several times and treated with the Sancy Diamond, wrote that "for the moment in a sort of range, such as borders and clear around the white gold band. No.. Poles, and the gap is clear that the pine is almost colorless, but there is a faint yellow color is very light green color. color is much less striking than the picture, I think that unless you know what colorless search. In fact I have not been studied under ideal conditions: dark blue light under the basement of a yellow half white worn penlight with around fifteen people, the French museums to try to tell me not to touch the stone, because the only people on the "president of the coordinator or higher and the ability to deal with that. "

The Sancy, pale yellow diamond of 55.23 carats (11.05 g), and the reputation that goes back to ancient times, the majority of the eminent personalities in the field, but probably of Indian origin, in light of the cut, which unusual by Western standards.

Stone shield in the form of two back-to-back crowns (the typical upper half stone) but lacks any semblance of a wing (the lower part of the stone, or under the belt of the middle section).

The Sancy known history began around 1570 in Constantinople when purchased Nicolas Harle, Sancy Lord. It was popular in the French court, the French ambassador at a later date to Turkey. Something of a gem connoisseur, Sancy used to benefit from the knowledge of wealth.


Henry III of France, the former suffered from premature baldness and tried to hide that fact by wearing a hat. The diamond more generally at the time, Henry arrange borrow Sancy diamond to decorate his roof. Henry IV also borrowed the stone, and much more practical to be used as collateral for the financing of the army. The legend goes that the messenger of a jewel is not there, but Sancy (then Director of Finance), and he was convinced that the man was a loyal and has a search on the site of the robbery and even murder, if any. And performing an autopsy on the body to burial, the jewel was found in the man of the stomach and he said.

The Sancy later sold the diamond to James I (successor of Queen Elizabeth (about 1605 when he believed Sancy acquired its name. It was described in the Tower of London in 1605 the inventory of jewelry, "Fire ... and a diamond cutting and Fawcett, from Sauncy bought. "

The Sancy remained until 1669 when he was in England for a short period in the possession of the unfortunate Charles I (king of England, Scotland and Ireland) and the third son of James II. After the devastating defeat of the besieged, took shelter under the James Louis XIV in France, the host volatile exile who are tired of the guest. Face impeachment, and James had no other choice but to sell Sancy MAZARIN the Cardinal on the amount of 25,000 pounds sterling. Cardinal inherited diamond to the king.
Sancy, the date is not known from that time until 1828, when he bought the Prince Demidoff Park of £ 80,000. The family is the collection of demigod until 1865 when sold to Sir Jeejeebhoy Jamsetjee Indian prince of £ 100,000. He sold only one year later, creating a hole in its history. Appeared in 1867, and presented in Paris, with the price of one million francs, gem and then for a period of forty years