240 A Book of Precious Stones
trate the crude efforts of the lapidaries of their time, the natural planes of the octahedron being only partly polished.
Louis
Duke of Anjou possessed a regal array of jewels; in an inventory of his
gems exhibited 1360-1368 was a description of eight diamonds which
showed some skill on the part of their cutters.
When
the Duke of Burgundy, in 1407, gave a magnificent banquet to the King
of France and his Court, the noble guests received as souvenirs of the
entertainment eleven diamonds, cut with as much skill as the art of
that day was capable of, and set in gold.
Pope
Sixtus IV. was the recipient of the second diamond sent to be cut, in
1475, by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, to Louis de Berquem of
Bruges—regarded by his contemporaries as the father of
diamond-cutting. The first of the trio of famous stones is said to have
been the historic " Beau Sancy "; the third diamond was presented to
Louis XL of France.
"
The Twelve Mazarins" were the twelve thickest diamonds of the French
crown jewels, ordered by Cardinal Mazarin to be recut by Parisian
cutters.
