Jewels of the Crown today at Le Louvre are the most important part conserved by France after the theft in 1792 and the sale of the jewels in 1887. The rest are in the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle and the Musée de l'Ecole des Mines de Paris. Many other jewels have been dispersed by sale or theft, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries. A few reappear regularly at public sales in auction rooms.
The collections of the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle and the Musée de l'Ecole des Mines de Paris are also significant but little-known. Yet they are well worth a visit, as they are also splendid and historic objects. What's more, these museums have collections of rare gems in quantities and qualities that are unique in the world. For more information or to visit them click on:
Also worth reading for a complete overview of the Joyaux de la Couronne de France:
The auction of the French crown jewels by the 3rd Republic (1887)
Under the 3rd Republic (September 4, 1870 - May 10, 1940) and after several years of discussion (1881-1887) on the allocation of the sale of the jewels, the Senate Chamber passed the law on the sale of the Crown Jewels on October 26, 1886. It was followed by the vote of the Chamber of Deputies on December 7, 1886. The French Third Republic decided to auction off most of the collection “to prevent future monarchs from claiming it”. A false pretext and a stupid decision that deprived France of a cultural and historical treasure unique in the world.
The sale took place from May 12 to 23, 1887. Most of the jewels for sale were sold to private collectors and other royal families.
Valuations of the Crown Jewels prior to the 1887 sale
In 1814, the Crown Jewels comprised 65,072 stones and pearls, most of them mounted as jewelry, including 57,771 diamonds, 5,630 pearls and 1,671 colored stones (424 rubies, 66 sapphires, 272 emeralds, 235 amethysts, 547 turquoises, 24 cameos, 14 opals, 89 topazes). In 1887, the collection, rich in 77,486 stones and pearls, comprised two groups of jewels: the first, the oldest, dating from the Restoration period, and the second, made during the Second Empire, as the Crown Diamonds were not used during the July Monarchy.
The Crown Jewels were estimated at 13,950,000 gold francs at the end of the Consulate (1799), 20,319,229.59 francs in 1823, 20862.39 francs in 1830. The appraisal commission of 1882 estimated its value at 21,267,040 francs, but decided that some of the diamonds should not be sold. The Régent diamond, for example, will ultimately remain in the Louvre.
The disaster sale of 1887
Finally the for sale collection was estimated at around 8,000,000 F gold. The price was set at 6,000,000 F. The State paid 293,851 F. to organize the sale. Final receipts amounted to only 6,927,509 F. Not only was the sale disappointing financially, it was also disastrous in historical terms, in mineralogical terms (given the quality of certain stones that are no longer to be found) and in artistic terms (so many masterpieces of French jewelry disappeared at the same time).
In fact, everything conspired to make the stones lose their identity and value: to facilitate purchases, elements of the Restoration ornaments were sold separately, the Napoleon III decorations were dismantled, and the gooseberry leaf ornaments were scattered. The buyers were mainly jewelers (Boucheron, Bapst Frères, Tiffany etc.), who completed the butchering of most of the jewels to reuse the stones.
A total of 6,864,050 francs left was invested at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (State bank). Discussions will continue as to the allocation of the funds generated by this sale: endowment fund for the Musées Nationaux or caisse des invalides du travail (???) ( a new fund for disabled workers!).
To be noted
In 1890, Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis purchased the tiara, designed by official Crown jeweller Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier (de), as a wedding gift for his wife. It remained in the family for almost a century.
Also from 1945 until his death in 1953, the duc de Westminster purchased the dispersed crown jewels as a gift for Aimée de Heeren.
However, a few items are not for sale
But a few items, including Joyeuse, Napoleon’s coronation crown, and some ceremonial swords and items, were retained and placed in the Musée du Louvre (including the Le Régent diamond), in the Muséum d'histoire naturelle and also at École des mines (some of the gems from the Joyaux de la Couronne de France).
Empress Eugénie's crown (Spouse or Napoléon III) was returned to the former empress, who bequeathed it to Princess Marie-Clotilde Bonaparte. It was subsequently auctioned in 1988, and donated by Roberto Polo to the Musée du Louvre in Paris, where it is currently on display.
Jewels of the Crown today at Le Louvre
Today, the Louvre's Galerie d'Apollon houses the main royal collection of gems and the Crown's diamonds. The Galerie d'Appolon is itself a work of art. A total of forty-one paintings, one hundred and eighteen sculptures and twenty-eight tapestries adorn the Galerie d'Apollon.
Rebuilt after a fire destroyed part of the Louvre on February 6, 1661, it was to serve 20 years later as the model for one of the symbols of French classicism, the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles. It was not until two centuries later, in 1850, that the decoration of the Galerie d'Appolon was completed, under the direction of Félix Duban. Eugène Delacroix was commissioned to create a 12-metre work to decorate the center of the ceiling, Apollon vainqueur du serpent Python.
At the May 1887 sale, the Empress Eugénie's reliquary brooch, known as the “agrafe rocaille” and consisting of eighty-five diamonds mounted on gilded silver, which had been sold to jewelers Frédéric Bapst and Alfred Bapst, was attributed to the Musée du Louvre where it is still on display.
Jewels of the Crown today at Le Louvre are displayed in 3 showcases. The first showcase features pre-Revolutionary jewelry, while the second showcases jewelry from the First Empire, Restoration and July Monarchy periods. A third showcase features jewelry from the Second Empire, with remnants of Empress Eugénie's grand finery.
Louis XIV's collection of the Jewels of the Crown today at Le Louvre
The Apollon gallery showcases the sumptuous collection of gems assembled by the kings of France. Cut from precious minerals (agate, amethyst, lapis lazuli, jade, sardony or rock crystal) and set off by spectacular settings, these works of art are objects of great luxury. Appreciated since Antiquity, Louis XIV had a real passion for gems. His collection numbered some 800 pieces.
The Crown Diamonds of the Jewels of the Crown today at Le Louvre
Jewels of the Crown today at Le Louvre also include the famous Crown diamonds. Despite the vicissitudes of a troubled history of thefts, dispersals and sales, some of the jewels still bear witness to royal splendor. The oldest stone is the spinel known as the Côte-de-Bretagne, which entered the treasure thanks to Queen Anne of Brittany. Three historic diamonds, the Regent, Sancy and Hydrangea, adorned the clothes or crowns of sovereigns. Also preserved are spectacular sets created in the 19th century, such as the emerald and diamond set worn by Empress Marie-Louise (2nd wife of Napoleon I).
Provenance of the Jewels of the Crown today at Le Louvre
In addition to the jewels retained from the 1887 sale, the Musée du Louvre has a policy of buying jewels on an ad hoc basis, as and when they appear on the market.
- In 1988, the Musée du Louvre acquired Empress Eugénie's crown - 2,490 diamonds and 56 emeralds set in gold - made in 1855 by the jeweler Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier.
- In 1992, the Société des amis du Louvre purchased Empress Eugénie's pearl diadem - silver, gold-plated, with 212 oriental pearls and 1,998 diamonds - made in 1853 by Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier. Until then, it had belonged to a friend of Aimée de Heeren's, Johannes, 11th Prince of Tour et Taxis (1926-1990), who inherited a considerable artistic estate.
- The brilliant and emerald diadem of the Duchesse d'Angoulême (sister of Louis XVI and sole survivor of the Revolution), sold in 1887 and kept in private collections for over a century, reappeared in London in the second half of the 20th century as the possession of Antony Lambton. Exhibited from the 1980s onwards at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the tiara was sold by Lambton in 2002 and acquired by the Louvre, where it has been on display ever since.
- 2008 saw the purchase of Empress Eugenie's large diamond bodice knot, made in 1855 by François Kramer, the Empress's personal jeweler. The jewel had remained in the Astor family for over a hundred years.
- The purchase in 2015 of Empress Eugenie's shoulder brooch, made in 1853 by François Kramer. The brooch entered the Louvre's collections on February 11, 2015.
- In October 2019, the Musée du Louvre will acquire an element of the belt from the ruby set of the Duchesse d'Angoulême (the belt was made up of twelve other elements, including the central plate, which is larger than the others). According to 19th-century inventories, the ruby ensemble included, in addition to the belt, a diadem, a “couronnette”, a large and a small necklace, two bracelets, two appliques, a neck pendant, two earrings, a clasp and fourteen corsage buttons. The tiara, clasp and large necklace remain in private collections. The two bracelets, on the other hand, are already in the Louvre, where they were bequeathed by Claude Mercier in 1973.
Major pieces of the Crown Jewels not recovered by the Louvre
There are still a number of diamonds and crown jewels dispersed in 1887 that have reappeared on the market but have not been, or could not be, purchased by the Musée du Louvre.
- Empress Marie-Louise's (Napoleon I's second wife) emerald diadem (transformed), stored at the Smithonian Institute in Washington. Empress Marie-Louise's emerald ensemble included a tiara, a necklace, a pair of earrings and a comb. It was commissioned from jeweler François-Regnault Nitot for the Emperor's wedding to the Archduchess.
Taken by the Empress after the fall of the Empire, she bequeathed them to her cousin Leopold II of Tuscany. The set remained in the Habsburg family until 1953, when it was sold to Van Cleef & Arpels. The emeralds in the tiara were then sold off one by one by the jeweller, who replaced them with turquoise.
American businesswoman Marjorie Merriweather Post bought the tiara in the late '50s and bequeathed it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1966. The comb was transformed and lost after the 1960s. The necklace and pair of earrings, however, were preserved in their original condition and joined the Musée du Louvre collections in 2004, thanks to the Heritage Fund, the Société des Amis du Louvre and the museum's management.
- Diamond necklace given by Napoleon to Marie-Louise (also bequeathed by Merriweather Post) on the occasion of the birth of their son.
- Hope Diamond
This 69-carat blue diamond was stolen in 1792 and illegally cut before 1812. It is now known as the “Hope” diamond, after its first buyer Henry-Philipp Hope.
- The sapphire diadem of the Duchesse d'Angoulême (sister of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X), which also had a turquoise set, commissioned from the jeweler Bapst in 1819, was also sold in 1887.
It reappeared when Sir Edward Sassoon married Aline Rothschild. The tiara remained the property of their daughter Sybille, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, who had it transformed between 1937 and 1953 (according to photographs of the Marchioness wearing it at the coronations of George VI and Elizabeth II). The marquise sold it in 1973, and the tiara subsequently disappeared at a Christie's auction, acquired by a private collector.
- Christie's also organized the sale of the Grand Mazarin diamond in November 2017 in Geneva, for 12.5 million Swiss francs, double its estimate. The name of the seller and the new owner are not disclosed.
How much are the Crown Jewels on display at the Louvre worth?
It's very difficult to get an idea. For one thing, there is no regular market for jewels of this quality. And secondly, the historical value of these jewels for France (and for wealthy connoisseurs around the world) is not really quantifiable. All the more so as legends linked to these jewels can increase their emotional value for potential buyers. For example, the Hope diamond (formerly the Grand Bleu of Louis XIV) was estimated at $200 million a few years ago. More recently, its theoretical value has risen to $350 million!
However, a few figures can be put forward, based on some of the exchanges carried out in recent years:
The Sancy Diamond (55 carats)
This daimand was also of immense value, worth several million livres. Purchased by Mazarin in 1657 and given to Louis XIV with seventeen other diamonds. It disappeared during the robbery of 1792, reappeared in London in 1794, and after passing through various hands, it belonged to the Astor family, who sold it to the Louvres in 1789 for 1 million francs. Can we say that its value today is still 1 million, but in Euros this time?
The Régent (140,64 carats)
The Regent is France's most famous Crown Jewel. The rough stone weighed 410 carats and was discovered in 1698 in Golconde, India. Legend has it that a slave traded it for passage on a ship. But the unscrupulous English sailor killed him and sold the stone to Thomas Pitt, English governor of Madras. That's why it's also known as "the Pitt".
Philippe d'Orléans, King Louis XV's Regent of France, decided to buy the diamond for a few hundred thousand pounds. The stone also took the name "Regent".
Stolen in 1792, found by chance in 1793, pawned by the Directory, recovered by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. Napoleon 1st considered it a talisman and had it set several times, first on the hilt of his 1803 parade sword, then on the hilt of the 1804 coronation sword, and finally on the pommel of the 1812 imperial sword.
A price of $70 million has sometimes been put forward, but this value is meaningless as this diamond is deeply involved in French history and therefore not for sale. However, if such a sale were to take place, the diamond's weight of 140 carats (the Hope is only 69 carats), its unique cut quality and history would make its value break all appraisals.
The Hortensia Diamond (21,32 carats)
The Hortensia Diamond is a 21.32-carat peach diamond with a slight orange-brown tint. It is also known as the Pink Diamond. It was cut in 1678 and acquired by Louis XIV, who wore it as a buttonhole. It was named after Hortense de Beauharnais (1783-1837), Queen of Holland from 1806 to 1810. Hortense de Beauharnais was both the (adopted) daughter of Napoleon I and his sister-in-law (from her marriage to Louis Bonaparte), as well as the mother of Napoleon III and his half-brother Duc de Morny (whom she bore to Charles de Flahaut, aide-de-camp to Marshal Murat, himself a brother-in-law of Napoleon I). Quite a family history!
The Hortensia was stolen during the 1792 theft of part of the Crown's diamonds from the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne in Paris, but recovered after a relentless police investigation.
The Hortensia was last used by Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III) in 1856. In 1887, it was given to the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, then to the Musée du Louvre in Paris, where it is displayed.
These three historic diamonds, the Regent, Sancy and Hydrangea, have adorned the clothes or crowns of sovereigns.
Also preserved at the Louvre are Jewelry Sets, Crowns (in particular the Crown of Louis XV), diadems, and ceremonial swords, Regalia or Gold and Enamel Work. For example, spectacular sets created in the 19th century, such as those made of emeralds and diamonds for Empress Marie-Louise. What value can these unique pieces have on the market?
The Crown Jewels of France are not anymore a matter of value. They remain a potent symbol of France's monarchical past and a testament to its historic influence and cultural richness. Although the jewels themselves are no longer united as a collection, their history is preserved in museums and historical records, where they continue to fascinate and reflect the dramatic evolution of France from a kingdom to a republic.
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