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Dates in History of
the Sancy |
Timeline & History of
Sancy
Diamond
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The diamond
originated from Golconda in India and
was belonged to various Indian rulers |
|
1400's |
The Indian
Ocean was the scene of thriving trade in the 14th and
15th centuries and during this time the diamond was
believed to have gone to Europe |
|
1467 |
About this
time the diamond was acquired by Charles the Bold, Duke
of Burgundy (1433 – 1477) Charles was the owner of a
great jewel collection including the
Florentine Diamond |
|
1475 |
A Flemish
polisher called Lodewyk (Louis) van Berquem of Brugge,
Belgium discovered how to cut the facets of a diamond
and is believed to have cut the diamond into its famous
pear shape |
|
1477 |
Charles the
Bold, Duke of Burgundy lost possession of the diamond
when he died at the Battle of Nancy after being defeated
by Rene, Duke of Lorraine |
|
1504 |
Rene, Duke
of Lorraine succeeded as Count of Guise in 1504 and the
diamond stayed in the possession of the French nobility |
|
1500's |
The
diamond came into the possession of Nicolas de Harlay,
Seigneur de Sancy (1546-1629) a French soldier and
diplomat and the stone became known as the Sancy Diamond |
|
1589 |
In 1589
Sancy used jewels, including the Sancy diamond, as
security to fund an army of mercenaries for King Henry
III of France (1551 – 1589) |
|
1572 |
Protestant Henry IV of Navarre
(1553 – 1610) became King of France but came under
attack by the Catholic League, strengthened by support
from Spain. He was aided by money and troops by
Elizabeth I of England. |
|
1590's |
Nicolas de Harlay, Seigneur de Sancy, was the ambassador
of
Henry IV at the court of Queen
Elizabeth I. He sold the Sancy Diamond to Queen
Elizabeth. |
|
1605 |
The sale
of the Sancy diamond is confirmed in an Inventory of the
Crown Jewels in the Tower of London on March 22nd, 1605
with the entry "One fayre dyamonde, cutt in fawcettes,
bought of Sauncey" |
|
1643 |
Henrietta Maria (1609 - 1666) married King Charles I of
England (1600 - 1649) but was forced to go France in
exile away from the troubles of the country and the
English Civil War |
|
1645 |
A letter
from Henrietta Maria refers to giving a gift of the Sancy
(referred to in the letter as the 'Sanci') to
Edward Somerset, Earl of Worcester who during this year
was heavily involved in King Charles's scheme for
obtaining military help from Catholic Ireland and
Europe. The Sancy then disappeared during the terrible
times when King Charles I was beheaded, Oliver Cromwell
became Lord Protector and the restoration of the English
monarchy and Charles II |
|
1685 |
King
James II (1633 - 1701) ascended the English throne
following the death of Charles II. His short reign ended
in 1688 when he went into exile in France. He had the
Sancy diamond with him. |
|
1695 |
The
exiled James sold the Sancy diamond to King Louis XIV
(1638 – 1715) of France for 625,000 francs and the Sancy
diamond became part of the French Regalia (Crown Jewels) |
|
1791 |
The Sancy appears in the
inventory of the French regalia valued at 1,000,000
francs |
|
1792 -
August |
The Sancy
diamond was, with the rest of the French regalia, seized
in August, 1792, and deposited in the Garde-Meuble
(Royal Treasury) during the French Revolution |
|
1792 - September |
In
September the Crown Jewels, including the Sancy
Diamond were stolen when the Garde Meuble (Royal
Treasury) was stormed by rioters. It disappeared for
some years - some believe it went to Spain |
|
1828 |
The Sancy Diamond was
purchased by Prince Nicholas Demidoff (1773-1828) whose
family owned silver mines in Russia. The Sancy
stayed in the Demidoff family
until 1865 |
|
1865 |
The Sancy was sold to Jamsetjee
Jeejeebhoy, of Bombay and the stone returned to India |
|
1867 |
The stone was sold to the
Maharaja of Puttiala |
|
1875 |
It was
mentioned in the account of the Prince of Wales Tour in
India (later King Edward VII) |
|
1906 |
It was bought by William Waldorf Astor and was kept in
his family for 72 years |
|
1978 |
The 4th
Viscount Astor sold it to the Louvre in 1978 where it is
displayed in the Apollo Gallery |
|
Timeline & History |
Timeline & History of
the Sancy |
