FAMOUS DIAMONDS, 1894 Geology...

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Vintage-Views Antique Prints and Maps :: Antique Prints :: Scientific :: Geology :: FAMOUS DIAMONDS, 1894 Geology Original Antique Print

FAMOUS DIAMONDS, 1894 Geology Original Antique Print

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The Regent - A truly historic diamond discovered in 1701 by an Indian slave near Golconda, it once weighed 410 carats in the rough. Once owned by William Pitt, the English Prime Minister, it was cut into a cushion-shaped brilliant of 140.50 carats and, until it was sold to the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France when Louis XV was a boy in 1717, it was called The Pitt. It was then renamed The Regent and set in the crown Louis XV wore at his coronation. After the French Revolution, it was owned by Napoleon Bonaparte who set it in the hilt of his sword. It is now on display in the Louvre.

The Sancy It weighed 55 carats and was cut in a pear shape. The Sancy was first owned by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost it in battle in 1477. The stone is in fact named after a later owner, Seigneur de Sancy, a French Ambassador to Turkey in the late 16th century. He loaned it to the French king, Henry III who wore it in the cap with which he concealed his baldness. Henry IV of France also borrowed the stone from Sancy, but it was sold in 1664 to James I of England. In 1688, James II, last of the Stuart kings of England, fled with it to Paris. It disappeared during the French revolution. Since 1906, it has belonged to the Astor family of London.
Koh-I-Noor ("Mountain of Light") First mentioned in 1304, it weighed 108.93 carats and was an oval cut stone. It is believed to have been once set in the famous peacock throne of Shah Jehan as one of the peacock's eyes. It is now amongst the British Crown Jewels and weighs 105.60 carats.

The Blue Hope - More notorious than any other diamond, The Hope was once owned by Louis XIV and was officially designated "the blue diamond of the crown." Stolen during the French revolution, it turned up in London in 1830 and was bought by Henry Philip Hope after whom it is currently named. It was while the diamond was in the possession of the Hope family that it acquired its gruesome reputation for bad luck. All his family died in poverty. A similar misfortune befell a later owner, Mr. Edward McLean. It is now in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington and weighs 45.52 carats.

CONDITION: Wood Engraving. German Text. BLANK ON THE BACK. As Scanned. Image is clear and sharp with beautiful depth and detail and in Good Condition. This beautiful print would look great matted and framed. An art supply store can provide you with a selection of frames for old art treasures.

Wood engraving is, simply, the craft, or technique, of engraving, using the medium of wood. This was the earliest type of engraving. The original method — which is more precisely termed wood cutting, since it used a knife rather than engraving tools — was developed around 1400. The outlines of the design to be engraved were put down on a side of smooth-grained wood, and, usually with a knife, the excess surface of the wood block (all but the lines) would be cut away, a process called blocking. This left a set of raised wooden lines on the face of the block. In order make a print of this engraving, thick ink was applied to the raised design. This is known as a relief. Finally, a sheet of paper (or other material) was pressed firmly against the wood in order to assure that all the lines printed. This method led directly to the development of the printing press, and the 1453 introduction of a press using movable type by Johann Gutenberg.

Printed for Meyers Konversations

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SKU	0527327k6
Quantity in stock	No items available
Price:	US$15.00

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