The Royal Bleu
Did you know that most of the French Crown jewels or ‘Diamants de la Couronne de France’ have been destroyed over the Centuries and only 1 of the 20 documented royal crowns survived. King Louis XVI is depicted here, with the Royal French Blue. Originally set in gold and suspended on a neck ribbon which the king wore on ceremonial occasions.
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French traveller and trader is believed to have discovered this famous diamond. Bringing this gemstone back from his travels to India and consequently selling it to Louis XVI. They named this diamond ‘The Blue Diamond of the French Crown or the Royal French Blue’. Stunning, but crudely cut ‘violet’ diamond weighed just over 115ct and had perfect clarity. Five years later, the diamond was re-cut by the court jeweller into the 68ct French blue we know today.
During the French Revolution, this famous blue diamond was stolen in 1792. Disappearing from view, for a few decades. It is believed it was re-cut to 45,52ct in an attempt to mask its origin. The only blue diamond of that exact size is the Hope diamond. While these days scientists have proven the two stones to be one and the same.
The Hope Diamond
The hope diamond is probably the most famous blue diamond in the world. Estimated worth around a quarter of a billion dollars. It is known for its mysterious origins. The stories are conflicting although it’s most likely to have been found in Golkonda mines in southern India. These mines, now extinct, were the source of several extraordinary diamonds, including the Koh-i-Noor.
After decades of it’s disappearance, it resurfaced in 1812, in the possession of Daniel Eliason. The diamond disappeared again in 1830, sold privately. Later, it came into the possession of Henry Thomas Hope, in 1839, which is where it got it’s name. Cartier mounted the Hope diamond as a headpiece on a three-tiered circlet of large white diamonds. Sometime later it became the pendant on a diamond necklace as we know it today.
