dowager
Henrietta Maria, which explains how the Sancy subsequently appears in
the possession of James II., from whom it passed to Louis XIV. for
625,000 francs (25,000l).
DIAMOND-CUTTING.
Laborde
(' Glossaire,' p. 250) labours hard to claim for his countrymen the
invention of Diamond-cutting, and at an earlier period. It is therefore
worth while to examine the strongest of the documentary evidences he
there adduces to support his assertion :—
" a.d. 1407.
La Courarie, ou demeurent les ouvriers de dyamans et d'autres pierres"
(Description de Paris, par Guillebert de Metz). Item. (Dans une vue
generale des plus habiles ouvriers de Paris) " plusieur artificieux
ouvriers comme Herman qui polissent dyamans de diverses formes."
1412.
" Un anel d'un dyamant gros, de quatre losanges en la face dudit
dyamant, et de quatre demi-lozanges par les costez du-dit dyamant;
I'autre dyamant plus petit, plat, de six costez ; l'autre dyamant un
petit moindre, et est en facon d'un fleur de ' souviegne-vous-de-moy,'
et est de quatre pieces ; et l'autre dyamant est un petit moindre sur
la rout" (Due de Bourgogne, 131).
1432.
" A Jehan Pentin, orfevre et marchant de joyaux, de-meurant a, Bruges,
pour un anel d'or esmaille et garny d'un gros dyamant a facon
d'escusson.....vixx salus " (Do. 1088).
" A Hecart Duvivier, aussi marchant de joyaux, pour ung aultre
anel d'or garny d'un dyamant a plusieurs faces.....xvi salus"
(Do. 1091).
Now it will be observed in these extracts that not a word is said of cutting Diamonds, but only of polishing1 them—a
process perhaps known from the very earliest times, and merely
consisting, it may be presumed, in freeing the native crystal from the
gum-like coating that in so many cases totally veils its transparency.
This could very well be done by means of emery-
