In
the reign of James 1. of England there appears amongst his Majesty's
personal jewels one of particular note called the " Portugal " whose
name does not appear in previous inventories of the English jewels,
and this we are inclined to believe was the diamond which de Sanci
purchased from Dom Antonio, and which had so many adventures. In the
absence of direct proof however this identification should be accepted
only provisionally. Shortly after his accession James caused a number
of jewels to be reset, and one ornament, known as the " Mirror of Great
Britain," was considered to be the master-piece.
It is thus described in the official inventory of 1605 :
"
A greate and riche Jewell of golde, called the Myrror of Greate
Brytagne, contayninge one verie fayre table diatnonde, one verie fayre
table rubye, twoe other lardge dyamondes cut lozengewyse, the one of
them called the stone of the letter H of Scotlande garnyshed vvyth
small dyamondes, twoe rounde perles fixed, and one fayre dya-monde cutt
in fawcettes bought of Sancey."
