Dale Perelman

Vast images of ages past

Shine through its pure white light

What secrets would the Regent cast,

if only stones could write

The Regent Diamond has been bought and sold, stolen and pawned.

First discovered in a mine in India in 1701, this remarkable gem has passed from hand to hand, from family to family, from country to country and from setting to setting.

It has been owned by the most powerful heads of states of Europe, including Louis XV, Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte. Violence, greed, burglary and love have all played a role in the history and the legend of France’s most famous diamond, which now rests in a glass case in the Louvre Museum.

One can miss the Regent Diamond among the larger and more imposing works of art from Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and Venus from Melos to the magnificent Galerie d’Apollon with its marble inlaid tables, crystal and gold vases, golden scepters, massive murals, elegant sculptures and paintings. However, its history, the perfection of its cut, its size, crystal color and clarity makes it one of the Louvre’s richest prizes, a monument to the past greatness of France’s kings and queens.

 It has traveled a long and adventurous journey to earn a resting place among the treasures of France.