Liverpool Museum contains a great variety of corals, including
the Gorgonia or red coral used in jewelry, and Edinburgh
has a collection of gems, many of them possessing an historical
renown.
French Collections. — Many of the finest gems of antiquity
have found their way to France through different channels ;
some by the acquisitions of her sovereigns, some by travellers
encouraged by royal patronage, while others were the gifts of
foreign princes or the spoils of war. Saint Louis and other
Crusaders brought a large number of precious stones from the
East ; Tavernier, the most celebrated traveller of his time,
added more from the same source, many centuries later ;
while Charles V. and his brother, the Duke de Berri, Francis
I, Henry II., and Catherine de Medici, were all collectors and
owners of vast stores of these costly treasures.
Charles IX. is said to be the first to arrange these accumulated gems in one collection, which was, however, dispersed
during the public disturbances of his time, but re-established
by Henry IV., who added others, and was planning to enhance
its value still further, when his assassination prevented the
accomplishment of his purpose ; it was left to Louis XIV.
to complete the work.
The Duke of Orleans, an enthusiastic collector, bequeathed
his cabinet to the Royal Treasury, which was deposited in the
Louvre and afterwards removed to the Bibliothèque Royale.
The king purchased antiques from different countries of the
globe, thus increasing the number gradually until it had
assumed considerable proportions, and then removed the
collection to his favorite palace, at Versailles. Other additions
continued to be made, until the number of precious stones
belonging to the crown was exceedingly large.
The intagli are distinguished for the beauty of the stones
