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THE FRENCH BLUE.
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the
seller, that three millions' worth of precious stuffs and stones, he
became possessed of the Blue Diamond. This was in 1668 when the king
was in the full tide of his glory, and also of his extravagance,
conquering provinces, building palaces and buying gems.
There
seems to be no record of the first cutting of the Blue Diamond, if
indeed it was cut at all during the reign of the " Grand Mon-arque."
And what is still more strange, it seems to have attracted very little
attention, its heaven-blue tint being perhaps somewhat dimmed by' the
more striking splendor of the Regent which ere long was to attract all
eyes and absorb all attention.
In
1776, fourteen hundred and seventy-one diamonds belonging to the French
crown were sold, and the money thus obtained was used in re-cutting the
remainder besides adding sundry other jewels to the Regalia. In
February, 1788, the Antwerp Gazette makes known to the world that there
had just been completed in that city
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