Origin of name
The "Beau Sancy" or "Little Sancy," a 34-carat,
pear-shaped, colorless diamond gets its name from Nicholas Harlay de Sancy
the financier and diplomat of 16th-17th century France, who was also a
collector, connoisseur and dealer of diamonds. Nicholas Harlay de Sancy also
had a 55.23-carat, shield-shaped, colorless diamond which came to be known
as the Great Sancy or Sancy diamond, which subsequently became one of the
the most celebrated, historic diamonds in the world.
Characteristics of the
diamond
The "Beau Sancy" diamond is a colorless, flawless,
rounded pear-shaped diamond of 34 carats. The exact color and clarity grades
of the diamond are not known, as the diamond perhaps has not been tested in
a modern laboratory. But, the diamond appears to be D-color, and
internally flawless. Considering the period in which the diamond first
appeared, the late 16th century, it must have originated in the diamond
mines of Southern India, famous for producing colorless diamonds of
exceptional clarity.
If the diamond is absolutely colorless without even a
tinge of yellow color, it becomes a Type IIa diamond, which are said to be
the "purest of the pure" of all diamonds. These diamonds are chemically pure
and structurally perfect diamonds. They are chemically pure because of the
absence of impurities like nitrogen and boron which can impart color to the
diamonds. They are structurally perfect, as there are no distorted areas in
the crystal, that can impart rare fancy colors like red, pink, purple etc.
to the diamond. Thus in the absence of two important factors that can cause
color in diamonds, these diamonds are absolutely colorless. However they
constitute only about 1-2 % of all naturally occurring diamonds.
Early History
The diamond without any doubt is of Indian origin, as the
first authentic record of it's existence is in the late 16th century, when
the diamond came into the possession of Nicholas Harlay de Sancy, diplomat
and financier closely associated with the royal family of France. India was
the only known source of diamonds during this period. The name used for the
34-carat, pear-shaped, colorless diamond before it came into Sancy's hands
is not known. But, it is believed that the stone was part of the jewels that
belonged to Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, who also owned the other
Sancy diamond, the Great Sancy, which he used to carry into his battles, in
the belief that it brings good luck. Charles the Bold was the last of
the great dukes of Burgundy, who ruled between 1467 and 1477. Charles the
Bold, is believed to have sent three diamonds in 1475 to the famous diamond
cutter Louis de Berquem of Bruges-who is said to be the discoverer of the
modern art of diamond faceting-for cutting and polishing. One of these
diamonds is believed to be the "Beau Sancy". The second diamond was
presented to Pope Sixtus IV and the third diamond to King Louis XI of
France. The fate of the Beau Sancy after Charles the Bold's death in 1477 is
not known.
Nicholas Harlay de Sancy was a man of great wealth. A
former soldier turned diplomat and financier, he was a member of the
financial council of both Henry III and Henry IV. He was also a
collector and connoisseur of diamonds. He seems to have acquired the Sancy
and the Beau Sancy either when he was serving as a diplomat in
Constantinople, Turkey in 1570s, or during one of his many official
visits to Amsterdam or Antwerp in the 1580s or 1590s. Nicholas Harlay de
Sancy was an ardent monarchist and in 1589 he is said to have pawned his
diamonds to help Henry III to raise a mercenary army, during the French
civil war between the Protestants (Huguenots) and the Catholics. But, Henry
III was assassinated in 1589 and was succeeded by his cousin Henry IV, who
was a Huguenot but had to convert to Catholicism, in order to be recognized
as the legitimate ruler of France. Nicholas de Sancy supported Henry IV
during his nine years of struggle against the holy league to secure his
kingdom. Peace and religious harmony was finally restored to France in 1598,
after Henry IV signed the edict of Nantes, which confirmed Roman Catholicism
as the religion of the state, but granted a large measure of religious
freedom to the Protestants. After peace was restored Nicholas Sancy found
himself in a difficult situation as he was excluded from Henry IV's
financial council and went out of royal favor, due to the intrigues of
Henry's mistress Gabrielle d'Estrees. Nicholas Sancy was in difficult
financial straits and was forced to sell some of his diamonds.
In 1604 he sold the Great Sancy diamond to King James I,
the successor to the childless Queen Elizabeth I, and the first Stuart
King of England. Details of the journey of the Sancy diamond in history is
dealt with elsewhere in a different web page, but it must be stated here
that the Sancy is the most celebrated stone in history, that has passed
through more countries, and affected more royal families than any other
diamond in history.
The smaller diamond the Beau Sancy was sold in the same
year 1604, to Marie de Medicis, the Queen consort of King Henry IV of
France. It has been suggested that the King himself paid for the diamond in
order to assuage the feelings of indignation aroused in the Queen, when she
learnt that Nicholas Sancy had sold his bigger diamond to the King of
England. Marie de Medicis got the Beau Sancy diamond mounted on the crown
which she wore for her coronation in 1610. But, unfortunately her husband
King Henry IV was assassinated in the same year, and was succeeded by her
son King Louis XIII, who was just nine years old. Marie de Medicis acted as
regent until Louis XIII came of age, and devoted herself to the affairs of
the state. She developed a passion for power, and after Louis XIII came of
age in 1614, continued to govern France for another three years ignoring his
son. In 1617, Louis XIII resentful at being excluded from power, got his
mother exiled to Blois, with the help of his closest adviser Charles
d'Albert, who soon became the dominant figure in the government. Marie de
Medicis, having raised two unsuccessful rebellions against her son in
1619-20, was finally reconciled to Louis XIII in August 1620, through the
intervention of cardinal Richelieu, her principal adviser. Cardinal
Richelieu eventually gained Louis' confidence and was appointed principal
minister in the government. With Louis' failing health Cardinal Richelieu
became the dominant figure in the government. Cardinally Richelieu
eventually fell out with Marie de Medicis over his policy of rejecting the
Franco-Spanish alliance, and instead supporting the Protestant powers.
Things came to a head on when Marie de Medicis demanded the dismissal of
Cardinal Richelieu, but Louis XIII instead stood by his chief minister. In
February 1631, Marie de Meidicis was exiled for the second time to Compiegne,
from where she fled to Brussels in Spanish Netherlands (presently Belgium),
and never returned to France. She died in 1642.
While in Brussels she was in dire financial straits and
sold most of her possessions. She sold the Beau Sancy diamond to Prince
Frederick Henry, the Prince of Orange, for 80,000 florins. Prince Frederick
Henry (1584-1647), was the youngest son of William the Silent, Stadholder of
the United provinces of the Netherlands and the principal leader of the
Dutch struggle for independence from Spain. After the murder of William the
Silent his son Maurice of Nassau and Prince of Orange, succeeded the father
as Stadholder. Young Frederick Henry was educated at the University of
Leiden, and was appointed as a member of the council of state at the age of
17 years. He began to take part in most of Maurice's military expeditions,
and was sent on various foreign missions. Until the age of 40, Frederick
Henry, the Prince of Orange, was reputed to be too fond of women to tie
himself permanently to one of them. But, under strong pressure from Maurice
who had no legitimate offspring, and almost at the latter's deathbed, he got
married. His wife was lady-in-waiting to the exiled Queen of Bohemia.
Modern History
After Maurice's death in 1625, Frederick Henry, the
Prince of Orange, became Stadholder of Spanish Netherlands. Frederick Henry
was a brilliant soldier and military strategist, and everyone of his yearly
campaigns had the conquest of some important town or fortress as it's aim.
Hence the borderline between the modern kingdoms of Belgium (Spanish
Netherlands) and the Netherlands came to be drawn largely according to
Fredrick Henry's success and failures. Frederick Henry's son and heir,
William II, married Mary Stuart, the eldest daughter of Charles I of Great
Britain.
William II succeeded his father Frederick Henry as the
Stadholder of the United Provinces of Netherlands, after his death in 1647.
He also assumed the offices of Captain General and Admiral General of the
Union, and the title of Prince of Orange. William II died on November 6,
1650, after contracting small pox. William II's wife Mary Stuart gave birth
to a baby boy eight days after his death. This boy who was the grandson of
Prince Frederick Henry, grew up to become William III (1672-1702), the
Prince of Orange and Stadholder of the United provinces of the Netherlands,
after the Act of Seclusion, that excluded the House of Orange from power,
was rescinded.
In 1677 William III married his cousin Mary, daughter of
James, the duke of York, who subsequently became King James II of England.
This marriage to the heiress of the British Throne, elevated William's
status, who was hitherto fourth in the English succession. After his
father-in Law, King James II a Roman Catholic, had antagonized his subjects
by his despotic and romanizing policies, William of Orange, the Stadholder
of Netherlands was requested to intervene. He obliged and invaded England on
15th November 1688. James II fled to France and King William III and Queen
Mary II were installed as joint rulers of Great Britain. William III
inherited the Beau Sancy and gave it to his consort Queen Mary II, as a
wedding gift. The couple were childless and the diamond came into the
possession of another grandson of Prince Frederick Henry, Frederick III,
Elector Prince of Brandenburg, who in 1701, became King of Prussia, under
the name of Frederick I. The Beau Sancy became the most important stone in
the crown jewels of Prussia and was set in the royal crown. In an inventory
of the crown jewels in 1913, the Beau Sancy featured as the pendant to a
necklace made of 22 diamonds.
The Beau Sancy is now in the possession of the head of
the house of Hohenzollern, Prince Louis-Ferdinand of Prussia, grandson of
Kaiser William II, the last emperor of Germany.
Re-unification of the
Sancy and Beau Sancy
The Sancy and the Beau Sancy, two of the most historic
diamonds from the French Crown Jewels, were re-united at least temporarily
on two different occasions, one in 1972 at a unique exhibition known as the
"Two Historic Diamonds" held in Helsinki and the other in 2001 at the French
Natural History Museum, in Paris.
The exhibition at Helsinki was organized by the Finnish
Gemologist Herbert Tillander, and involved years of preparation and
correspondence, leading to the persuasion of the present owners of the Sancy,
the Astor family of England and the Beau Sancy, the Hohenzollern
family of Germany. The two diamonds were brought together after 370 years,
and the exhibition was opened by Prince Louis Ferdinand, the Head of
the Hohenzollern family, the present owners of the Beau Sancy.
The Exhibition at the French Natural History Museum,
Paris, was held between 10th march and 15th July, 2001, organized by the Mineralogy Department of the Museum and
sponsored by Robert Mouawad, the Head of the international jewelry empire,
the Mouawad Jewelers. This was the most comprehensive diamond and jewelry exhibition ever held
in any country in the world. The exhibition was held at the Gallery of
Mineralogy and Geology, consisting of 350 items, spread over three sections,
the colonnade hall, the picture gallery and the treasury vault. While the
first two sections contained exhibits related to the natural history of the
diamond, diamond deposits, diamond cutting, and the picture gallery, the
treasury vault contained around 100 items of famous diamonds, crown jewels
and jewels of the aristocracy, and the jewelry niches of three international
companies, Mouawad Jewelers, Tiffany's and Cartier. The treasury vault is an
impregnable concrete chamber with thick steel doors situated downstairs.
Some of the exhibits displayed in the treasury vault were :-
1) De Beers Special Collection, consisting of the rough
octahedral 616 diamond crystal, a 40-ct. octahedral crystal ad a 60-ct.
macle.
2) Eddy Elza's Rainbow Collection, consisting of around
300 fancy colored diamonds from all over the world, including 3 of 11 red
diamonds in existence.
3) The largest black diamond in the world, the
312.24-carat Spirit of de Grisogono, belonging to Fawaz Gruosi.
4) The Nassak or Idol's Eye diamond, from Robert
Mouawad's collection of diamonds.
5) The Shah Jahan diamond, one of the three engraved
historic diamonds, a 56.71-carat, light pink. table-cut diamond.
6) Jewelry belonging to several Indian Maharajahs, the
most prominent being the turban ornament of the Maharajah of Patiala.
7) President Vargas IV diamond, of Brazilian origin,
belonging to Robert Mouawad's Collection, set in a bracelet.
8) The Star of Africa also known as the Dudley diamond, a
47.69-carat, pear-shaped, D-color, three-sided, stellar brilliant, belonging
to a private collector.
9) The Crown Jewels of Portugal, exhibited for the first
time outside Portugal.
10) The Crown Jewels of France consisting of the Regent
diamond, the Sancy diamond, the Pink Hortensia, and the Mazarin diamonds
belonging to the Louvre Museum. Some items of the French Crown Jewels sold
in 1887, and belonging to private American collectors, were also added to
the exhibits. The most significant re-unification was the Great Sancy
belonging to the Louvre Museum, with the Beau Sancy, the most precious jewel
of the Prussian Royal House currently owned by the great-grandson of Kaiser
Wilhelm II, Prince George Friedrich of Prussia.
11) The Crown Jewels of the Kingdom of Denmark.
12) The Crown Jewels of the former Kingdom of Egypt.
13) Crown Jewels of the Indonesian Sultans, form the
National Museum of Jakarta.
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