The history of the sancy or grand sancy and the beau sancy have long been intertwined. Mar 02, 2012 another piece of history is hitting the auction block on may 15 th. The eyecatching beau sancy diamond, the oldest diamond to go under the hammer at auction. The 400yearold beau sancy diamond was famously found in the gem mines in the city of golconda. Yellow diamonds are among the more frequently discovered hues of colored diamonds. Several sources state that le beau sancy diamond, as it is often called, belonged to charles the bold, duke of burgundy. According to history, it came from an enormous tridacna clam that once clamped down a divers arm and. A big blue diamond has been found at a south african mine known for churning out famous. Happily coinciding with the celebrations marking the jubilee of h. Its never been out of royal hands, its of immaculate provenance, its in all the history books of famous stones. The sancy diamond s history is an ancient one in fact, its known history dates back to about 1570, and its discovery is believed to have happened well before then.
According to some authorities, like edwin streeter, who first published the book great diamonds of the world. At room temperature and pressure, another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form, but diamond almost never converts to it. Historic diamond to change hands professional pearl and. It has a fascinating history, and really is a onceinalifetime sale. He wrote two books, and in the dedication of each he only mentions two people achard and. The diamond is also unusual because it has no pavilion just a pair of crowns, one upside down on. Following henri ivs assassination, the queen was exiled in disgrace and escaped to the netherlands. The 45 most gorgeous, famous gems of all time by julie ma. Its larger sibling diamond, the grand sancy, was sold to james i of england for his queen, henrietta maria. Media caption the 35 carat beau sancy diamond is at least 400 years old. If there was a significant diamond on the market, he would know about it and could easily tell mr. In 1589 he obtained in geneva and berne sums sufficient to raise an army of mercenaries for henry iii, partly by the sale of jewels. Per the collections curator at the natural history museum in london, and per the crown jeweler, the cullinan i dimensions are 58. Apr 24, 2012 400yearold diamond, owned by a french king and german, british royal families, will be auctioned off by sothebys may 14.
This diamond is now more commonly known as the beau sancy diamond. May 16, 2012 the auction house called the beau sancy diamond one of the most important historic diamonds ever to come to auction, reflecting its role in the fluctuating fortunes of europes royal families for more than 400 years. And so began the beau sancy s 400year journey through european royal history as it passed between warring and. Their history and romance in 1882, the beau sancy diamond has a 550year old history dating back to the period of charles the bold 14671477, 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. In france the reduced rate is applied where the item is defined as a book for vat purposes.
Today, 7580% of the worlds natural diamonds are used for industrial purposes and 2025% for gemstones. May 10, 2012 according to some authorities, like edwin streeter, who first published the book great diamonds of the world. Golconda w the sancy diamonds story,and indeed the history of power and greed behind all large diamonds, begins at the famous golconda mines in india. Sancy diamond, fiery stone of indian origin that is shaped like a peach pit and weighs 55 carats. Sothebys auctioning legendary 35 carat beau sancy diamond. Diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material, properties that are utilized in. The history blog blog archive beau sancy diamond sells. May 03, 2012 the 400 year old beau sancy diamond has only been shown publicly four times in the last 50 years, and on the 15th may 2012 it will be sold at sothebys in geneva. Le beau sancy is part of sothebys magnificent jewels and noble jewels auction. Fourhundredyear old diamond sells at auction for nearly. David bennett discusses the beau sancy, a diamond which has been the privileged witness of 400 years of european history. I found the information about the connection between the lightgiving symbolism of. Formerly the property of the royal family of prussia, the beau sancy is a modified pear double rosecut diamond weighing carats.
His book great diamonds of the world actually went on to have about five or six editions. Erroneous information has been posted on the web concerning the size of the cullinan i. With truly royal connections, french, english, and prussian to be precise the beau sancy diamond is one for the books. Its known history begins in bruges in 1476 where lode van berkem cut the stone for charles the bold, as he had done before with the florentine. Diamond jamboree as bonnie prince charlies gem auctioned. 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.
Hauy he was the curator of gems and minerals at the natural history museum in paris in the early 1800s. Mar 25, 20 with truly royal connections, french, english, and prussian to be precise the beau sancy diamond is one for the books. From then until now, the beau sancy has never been in nonroyal. Search gias library catalog of 57,000 books, 1,800 videos, 700 periodicals, and the renowned cartier rare book repository and archive. My darling i did not mean a diamond owned by the royal family of prussia. The fascinating sixhundredyear history of one of the worlds most coveted gems and the royal feuds, intrigues, and betrayals it engendered the sancy diamond first came to europe from india in the fourteenth century, and until 1661 it was the largest white diamond and the most concentrated and secure form of wealthin all of christendom. The beau sancy, which was cut and polished towards the end of the 16th century, exhibits the first attempts to liberate the fire inherent in the stone a property of diamond so familiar and so admired today, but which, due to the absolute hardness of the crystal which rendered cutting so difficult, had only just begun to be exploited. May 15, 2012 le beau sancy is part of sothebys magnificent jewels and noble jewels auction. So theres hope that like its cousin, the beau sancy might end up in a museum, even though it could take a few centuries. Sothebys auctioning legendary 35 carat beau sancy diamond jck. Both diamonds are thought to have been mined in indias famed golconda mines. The 400 year old beau sancy diamond has only been shown publicly four times in the last 50 years, and on the 15th may 2012 it will be sold at sothebys in geneva. The only thing that is really sure regarding the origin of this diamond is that it comes from india. Weighing in at 35 carats, the rose cut diamond has been described as flawless and colorless.
Beau sancy diamond 550yearold historic diamond dating back to. May 16, 2012 media caption the 35 carat beau sancy diamond is at least 400 years old. According to the associated press, frances king henri iv purchased the diamond from the lord of. Worn by the queen of france at her inauguration in 1610, the beau sancy, one of the most famous diamonds in the. Beau sancy diamond 550yearold historic diamond dating. And so began the beau sancys 400year journey through european royal history as it passed between warring and peacemaking monarchs in. Le beau sancy diamond prior to spending 400 years in collections of europes royal. The beau sancy, one of worlds most important diamonds, to be. Jeweler dazzles the diamond world orange county register.
Aug 27, 2019 the property of the royal house of prussia. Le beau sancy diamond up for auction world news the guardian. May 15, 2012 however, perhaps the most significant piece in sothebys magnificent jewels and noble jewels sale is the 35carat beau sancy diamond. Diamond engagement rings, vintage jewellery and antique irish. The beau sancy, a modified pear double cut diamond, weighing 3. Landmark sales in which he has played an important role include an auction of property from the royal house of hanover, the historic beau sancy diamond, and the royal jewels from the bourbon parma.
It has a long history and has passed through many royal families. The beau sancy, one of worlds most important diamonds, to. The sale also features a historic diamond once owned by charles edward stuart, better known as bonnie prince charlie. In four hundred years, it has been owned by four european families, including some of the names that we on this side of the atlantic are most familiar with. My imagination was pricked by the sale for another reason. See the catalogue notes on sothebys website for more details about the fascinating history of the beau sancy diamond.
The beau sancy at the heart of the sale will be the beau sancy, a diamond which has been the privileged witness of 400 years of european history. Dont mistake this to mean that their discovery is a common occurrence, as even the most common colored diamonds are still a rarity. The history blog blog archive beau sancy diamond sells for. He said estimating the value of a stone like the beau sancy was difficult given its rarity. Queen elizabeth ii, sothebys auction of the beau sancy, underscores the preeminence of the diamond, symbolic of royalty. If the beau sancy diamond is of 15thcentury origin, believed to have been. A diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. The beau sancy stone is a flawless diamond originating from. These stories are steeped in the mystical folklore and superstition that are the bedrock of the spiritual, economic, political, and social history of gems.
Its known history begins in bruges in 1476 where lode van berkem cut the stone for charles the. This gem has quite a history, one that is worth the money alone. The beau sancy diamond takes its name from lord of sancy. However, perhaps the most significant piece in sothebys magnificent jewels and noble jewels sale is the 35carat beau sancy diamond. The beau sancy diamond bei famousdiamonds englisch. The sale also features a historic diamond once owned by charles edward stuart, better. Some believe that the sancy stone originated from persia where it was once owned by the mughal empire, but based on its unusual cut, many also believe it to be of indian descent. Le beau sancy diamond up for auction world news the. The beau sancy a diamond of supreme historical importance. He purchased the beau sancy in 1570 in constantinople.
Known as the beau sancy, the 400yearold diamond is expected to fetch. The auction house called the beau sancy diamond one of the most important historic diamonds ever to come to auction, reflecting its role in the fluctuating fortunes of europes royal families for more than 400 years. In this article, we will discuss three larger than life yellow diamonds that made the record books both for their size and beauty. Sothebys sale of the 500yearold beau sancy diamond. Its extremely rare for a diamond of this importance to come on the market, said david bennett of auction house sothebys. An anonymous bidder purchased the 35carat beau sancy diamond worn. Josephs weblog on colored stones, diamonds, gem identification, synthetics, treatments, imitations, pearls, organic gems, gem and jewelry enterprises,gem markets. Another piece of history is hitting the auction block on may 15 th. The saucy diamond has one of the most interesting, colorful, confused and involved histories of all the famous diamonds in europe. Moreover, this wonderful stone carries with it an extraordinary history. The history of the beau sancy took me back to the years around 1640, when it passed into and out of the orbit of the greatest netherlandish artists of the day, the dutchman rembrandt 1606071669 and the brabander rubens 15771640.
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