European-House-of-Photography, 36 000 works to consult, conservatory of Paris

The French Crown jewels of the Natural-History-Museum

<!-- wp:paragraph --> The Crown jewels of Natural-History-Museum are on display in the mineralogy and…

• 36 Rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
• The Crown Jewels at the Paris Natural History Museum’s Mineralogy and Gemology Gallery hold a selection of rare and historically significant gemstones, although they are less extensive than those in the Louvre. Originally deposited in 1796, after the French Revolution, the museum's collection includes stones from the Ancien Régime and later additions in 1887, just before a major sale of crown jewels. Highlights include the famous 135-carat Grand Saphir of Louis XIV, gifted to him by the jeweler David Bazu in 1669, and an emerald worn by Queen Marie Leczinska. The Great Blue Diamond, once owned by Louis XIV and now known as the Hope Diamond due to its renown and supposed curse, was stolen in 1792, modified, and eventually sold to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. A lead cast of the original diamond is now on display at the Paris Natural History Museum'Mineralogy and Gemology Gallery. Additional jewels on display include Louis XVIII’s opals, a rare amethyst set once belonging to Empress Marie-Louise, and other unmounted stones transferred from the Ecole des Mines. Some jewels lack precise provenance due to cataloging practices in the 19th century, but they remain part of France's national heritage. In the 18th century, Louis XV had set the Great Blue Diamond in the Order of the Golden Fleece, along with other masterpieces like the Côte de Bretagne spinel, now held in the Louvre. While much of this regalia was lost or dismantled, remnants are preserved, continuing to capture France's royal legacy in gems.