Tag Archives: The Hope Diamond

Tavernier, Later Travels & Peter The Great

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By Richard W. Wise, G.G.

©2010

Jean Baptiste Tavernier was one of the most prolific travelers and most remarkable men of the 17th Century.  His adventures span forty years and 180,000 miles.   My historical novel, The French Blue, tells the story of  his life and adventures up until the sale of the Great Blue Diamond to Louis XIV, the Sun King of France.   Though Tavernier lived to the age of eight four, we know little of the later life of after his ennoblement in 1669.  For roughly a quarter of the price he received for the blue diamond, 36,750 ounces of gold,  purchased the Chateau Aubonne just outside of Bern in what was then the Duchy of Savoy and with it the barony in 1670.

Chateau Aubonne with tower added by Jean Baptiste Tavernier

Chateau Aubonne with tower added by Jean Baptiste Tavernier

The next we hear of him is in 1684 in Berlin as a guest of Fredrick William of Brandenburg.  The Elector, anxious to equip his own East Indian venture, offers Tavernier an ambassadorship to India and appoints him Chamberlain and Counselor of his soon to be created Navy.   After six weeks in Berlin, he visits several towns in Germany and Holland and returns to Aubonne in November.

In January 1985, Tavernier, now 80 years old, sells his Barony to the Marquis Henry du Quesne for 168,000 livres, approximately three times the purchase price.  Ball suggests that he did this to raise money for the Brandenburg venture.  This may be true but I believe that the canny old adventurer had his nose in the wind and knew that as a Protestant his time was up in France.

Victor Amadeus, Duke of Savoy was the son in law of Louis XIV.  Louis issued The Edict of Fontainebleau in October effectively declaring Protestantism to be illegal.  This was shortly followed by the Verification of Nobility, a decree that revoked the titles on non-catholic aristocrats.  At first the Duke was reluctant to honor Louis decrees but caved in once his father in law threatened to send an army to invade the duchy.

By 1686 it was clear that The Elector’s East Indian venture had come to naught.  Tavernier once again begins traveling.  In 1687 he is in Switzerland and he arrives in Copenhagen sometime in 1687 or 1688.

According to information uncovered by Tavernier’s biographer Charles Joret, Tavernier now age 83 commences a seventh voyage to the Indies.  Joret produces a fragment of an article published in a Danish journal by Frederick Rostgaard who states that he interviewed the aging adventurer who told him of his intention to travel to Persia via Moscow. (Joret p.384).

Fredrick William of Brandenburg

Fredrick William of Brandenburg

On February 6, 1689, Tavernier received a passport signed by First minister Prince Vasily Gallitzin to enter Russia and to proceed from Smolensk to Moscow.  Tavernier was required to report to the Bureau of Foreign Affairs once he reached the Russian capital.

The Russian Orthodox Church was rabidly anti-West and sought to curtail the influence of  foreigners.  In 1652 Czar Alexis decreed that all foreign nationals living in Moscow were forbidden to live or build churches within the city.  They were required to reside in an area known as the German Suburb (Nemetskaya Sloboda). This quarter was located three miles northwest of the city along the Yauza river.  The quarter was laid out European style with Dutch, French and English buildings including several Protestant churches.  The quarter housed over 3,000 people and it is known that a number of French Huguenots (Tavernier’s co-coreligionists), fleeing the new wave of persecution in France, had taken up residence in the suburb (Massie, p.111).  It is reasonable to assume that Tavernier would have been required to live in this quarter during his sojourn in Moscow.

In his biography of the French gem merchant, Charles Joret cites a letter written in 1876 by an M. I. Tokmakof claiming to have discovered Tavernier’s headstone in an old protestant cemetery in Moscow.   Given the Czar’s decree it is reasonable to assume that this cemetery was located in the Nemetskaya Sloboda.  Since all Protestant churches were located in the German Suburb, this provides some direct evidence that Tavernier did reside in the quarter.  The headstone was intact except that the last two letters of the date had been obliterated leaving us with no exact knowledge as to the date of Tavernier’s death.

During his youth, Peter the Great befriended the British General, Patrick Gordon and several other foreigners and spent a great deal of his time in the German Suburb.  This raises the interesting question of whether or not Tavernier met Peter.  In his early youth, the young czar’s spiritual advisor, Patriarch Joachim, a fiercely anti-Western Orthodox cleric, controlled his access to the foreign quarter, but, according to historian Robert K. Massie (Peter The Great 1980), after the Patriarch’s sudden death on March 7, 1689, “Peter’s visits became so frequent that he seemed almost to live there.” (Massie, p.112)

Russian Czar Peter the Great as a young man

Russian Czar Peter the Great as a young man

As to a meeting between Jean Baptiste Tavernier and the future Peter the Great, it is interesting to speculate.   The precocious young Czar was extremely curious about foreign lands.   Tavernier was a celebrated traveler and a famous man and the evidence strongly suggests that he was in residence in the German Suburb in March of 1689.  It is difficult to believe that the young Peter would not have sought him out.   According to Joret, Tavernier died in Moscow sometime in 1689 at the age of 84.

Notes:

Translation of letter by Dr. Lawrence Blumentrost to Prince Gallitzin (Joret Appendix p. 404), translation mine.

To Vasily Vasilyevich (Gallitzin), first Minister to their Royal Highness(s)   Your Excellency,  He, the noted merchant Baron Tavernier who lives in Bern, Switzerland  has just arrived from the abroad in Smolensk from Stockholm with a pass port of the King of Sweden.  He wishes to travel through the Persian Empire on business he asks me a letter from him to get a free pass to go to Moscow as this man is great friend of mine and I’m quite in touch with him I have a pressing need that it comes.  For this reason here I humbly ask you not only his name but in my own name by any power that you possess because of our sovereign serene and kindly get him a free passage for him and all his luggage and send this Indeed a letter to Voyevoda (official??), Smolensk.   It will be a new benefit (favor) added to the many benefits from your grace that I shall never cease to be grateful for your Excellency’s time.

Your humble servant, Dr Lawrence Bliimentrost.

The Reply and order:

From our Majesties the tsars the August princes Jean Pierre Alexeyevich Alexeyevich and Orthodox by His Majesty the Empress and Princess Sophia August Alexeyevna autocrat of all the Russians, Alexeyevich Ivan , Musin Pushkin and our commander in Smolensk Voyevoda in our empire and its designees to know it was reported to our Majesties that Baron Taverier arrived a Smolensk from the Swedish border with a passport from His Majesty, the King of Sweden.   however, do not leave from Smolensk to Moscow ukase without an order of our Majesties But when this order from of our Majesties arrives, give the order without delay to send this stranger to Moscow.  Send a report to our Majesties and give him a copy of your authority and also order the alien to appear in our August chancery offices to the Keeper of the Great Seal of the Empire and Director of Foreign Affairs of our Majesties Governor and boyar of Novgorod Prince Vasily Vasilyevich well as before and the boyar Prince Alexei Vasilyevich Gallitzin or their delegates Done in Moscow the year 7197 (1689) on February 6.  Presented to Andre Viniousse.

Lecture & Book Signing; The Clark Art Institute:

I have been invited to deliver a lecture on Jean Baptiste Tavernier and the Odyssey of The Hope Diamond at the Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts on November 7, 2010 at 3:00 pm.  Admission is free.  There will be a book signing directly after the lecture.

The Wittelsbach; All tarted up and ready to sell

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The Wittelsbach; All tarted up and ready to sell

by Richard W. Wise
©2010

Wittelsbach-Graff Graff Does It again.

Few believed Lawrence Graff would have the chutzpa to recut the Wittelsbach Blue diamond, but we were all wrong.   At a cost of only 4.45 carats the recut and renamed Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond has been raised from a GIA graded of  Fancy Deep Grayish Blue to a Fancy Deep Blue.  Its clarity grade been likewise elevated from VS2 to Internally Flawless (IF).    Though I have yet to see the stone’s pavilion, based on the Smithsonian’s press statement, “Throughout the very delicate process of re-polishing this famous stone, great care and attention was taken to retain its original features”, I suspect that Graff recut retained the original double stellate brilliant facet pattern thus retaining the overall look of the original stone. For those of you who don’t know the story of Graff’s acquisition of the Wittelsbach let me refer you back to my previous GemWise.  Really The Blues.
Wittelsbach facet pattern. Note the star like pattern on the pavilion.

Wittelsbach facet pattern. Note the star like pattern on the pavilion.
 
In its original form, The Wittelsbach-Graff had a distinct window (see image above left) through the culet of the gem.
In an official biography, the claim is made that Graff is the 20th Century successor to Jean Baptiste Tavernier.   Readers will recall that my new historical novel, The French Blue, chronicles the life and adventures of Tavernier, the 17th Century gem merchant who sold Louis XIV the blue diamond that would eventually become the Hope Diamond.
Though the identification with Tavernier is debatable, there is no question that Graff has shown himself to be a master of diamond recutting as well as a  premier sales tactician.   The newly recut  Wittelsbach-Graff now sports a higher quality grade than The Hope Diamond.   The Hope, though larger (45.52 carats), remains a Fancy Deep Grayish Blue and only VS1 in clarity.  By arranging to show the stone, virtually side-by-side with the world’s most famous diamond, Graff also managed to pull off another coup de main.  The association with The Hope cannot fail to pump-up his diamond’s provenance—that ephemeral value based upon who owned the stone and what scandals it might have been part of—so that it is now almost equal to The Hope.    While putting together this exhibit is, without question, a large feather in the cap of Smithsonian curator Dr. Jeffrey Post, it could mean as much as 100 million to Graff.  In a brilliant master stroke, Graff has made the Wittelsbach-Graff the second most valuable diamond on earth and as far as anyone knows, the only one available for sale.  Maybe he is the 20th Century’s successor to Tavernier after all.

Re-Cutting and Value:

Graff announced his intention to recut the Wittelsbach just after he purchased it at the…  Many aficionados, including this writer, criticized his intention at the time.   Many assumed that it would be necessary to radically alter the facet pattern and reduce the weight, to achieve a better color grade and I assumed that Graff would take the opportunity to rid the stone of its prominent window.   Graff fooled everyone.  According to my sources, the diamond was worked on by three separate cutters beginning with Nino Bianco, who passed away from cancer during the process.  Though specifications are not yet available, the probability is that the stone was decreased in overall diameter in order to create steeper pavilion angles.  By slightly reducing the overall size he was able to accomplish his goal with just a minor if  at 2 million a carat, any loss can be called minor, loss of weight.  The Wittelsbach-Graff retains its original look and chances now that it is a Fancy Deep Blue without the “grayish” designation will sell for even more.
How was the Wittelsbach actually recut, how does it look now?  For the definitive answer to that question you can rush down to the Smithsonian on January 29th, the first full day the gem will be on display, or stay tuned to GemWise.

The French Blue, A reading straight from the 17th Century

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Baron Jean Baptiste Tavernier (George Bergen) dressed in authentic 17th Century supplied by Shakespeare & Compan and Rebekah Wise dressed in a beautiful russet silk Oriental Ao Dai

Baron Jean Baptiste Tavernier (George Bergen) dressed in authentic 17th Century supplied by Shakespeare & Company and Rebekah Wise dressed in a beautiful russet silk Oriental Ao Dai

More From The Gala Book Launch of The French Blue

Actor George Bergen reads from chapter 7, The Diver from Richard Wise’s just released historical novel, The French Blue.  Click below and enjoy!

TFB intro

Golconda Diamonds Part II

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The Legendary Blue-White Diamonds, Rarest of them All

by Richard W. Wise

©2007

Just recently it was my good fortune to examine one of the legendary diamonds of Golconda. These gems were originally mined in India in the 16th-18th Centuries. The mines were tapped out by about 1725. Many of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the Regent and the Sancy (pictured above right), The Hope and the Koh-i-Noor came from the mines of Golconda. This gem was accompanied by a GIA certificate rating it D Flawless, the highest possible diamond grade and a Gublin Laboratory certificate that identified the stone as a Type IIa. (Regent above left, Sancy above right)

As discussed in my previous post, recent scientific analysis has shown that diamonds with proven Golconda provenance are of a specific type of rare, pure carbon diamond known as Type IIa. Less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are Type IIa. Scientifically speaking, Type IIa diamonds are an almost pure carbon diamond containing no significant amount of nitrogen in the crystal lattice. Nitrogen is the impurity in diamond that imparts the yellowish hue. The lack of yellow makes for a pure colorless (D,E,F) color diamond. Some experts claim that all Golconda diamonds are Type II. There is, as far as I know, no scientific evidence to back up that claim.

Blue-White Beauty:

Golconda stones are the true blue white diamonds of legend. Today, dealers use the term blue white to describe diamonds that exhibit blue ultraviolet fluorescence. About 30% off all diamonds will exhibit this characteristic. Though ultra-violet fluorescence is not visible to the naked eye, though its effect may be. Blue is the complement of yellow, meaning that blue fluorescence in diamond effectively cancels out some of the yellow in the diamond’s body color. As a result, fluorescent diamonds will face up whiter than their actual color grade might suggest–a fluorescent H might look like a D color. It is UV fluorescence is also responsible for the super-charged saturation of very fine Burma-type rubies.

The gem I examined, a 9+ carat D-Flawless took on a distinct distinct bluish glow in direct sunlight. I had never seen this before. The blue glow was distinct and visible. Unable to believe my eyes I re-examined the certificate, it read: “no fluorescence”! I checked the stone myself, there was absolutely no fluorescence in either short or long-wave UV. How could this be?

Ian Balfour in his book, Famous Diamonds specifically mentions a “light blue tinge” as a characteristic of The 140 carat Regent Diamond. The Regent, originally called “The Pitt” was brought to England in 1670 and is, unquestionably, of Golconda origin (above left). Diamond scholar Herbert Tillander describes this affect as a “blue afterglow.” and notes that most Type II diamonds do not fluoresce. One exception, the Hope Diamond, a Type IIb (contains Boron) will not only fluoresce it will actually phosphoresce meaning that the stone will continue to glow last after the UV light source has been removed. Tillander further notes that some Type II diamonds have been found in South Africa’s Premier Mine, other sources mention Brazil.

Blue Haze:

Not all Type IIa diamonds exhibit this characteristic though Golconda stones do. I was able to examine another D-Flawless type IIa that placed side by side with the 9 carat, failed to exhibit the blue glow. In the Golconda stone, in direct sunlight, the blue hue floated above the gem like an early morning haze.

Fine Crystal; The 4th C:

Perhaps due to their pure carbon composition, Golconda diamonds exhibit another characteristic, a high degree of transparency, Balfour describes The Regent as having a “unique limpidity” that some dealers refer to as “super-d” or what I refer to in my book Secrets Of The Gem Trade, as a super-crystal. Very fine gems of all colors possess this characteristic. Compare a regular wine glass with one made of lead crystal, hold both up to the light and you will get the idea. When compared to another D color Type IIa not of Golconda origin, the difference was unmistakable. The characteristic strikes one as a combination of ultra-limpidity coupled with what connoisseurs refer to as “whiter than white” both characteristics were visible in the Golconda but not in the other gem.

The stone I examined was cut in a fashion almost identical to the Regent, a cut known as a baroque brilliant or old European (image left). Stones cut in this fashion are of a different character than the modern brilliant. The crown is higher and the pavilion facets are shorter and broader.

A fine diamond possesses two characteristics that define its beauty, brilliance and dispersion. Dispersion is the ability to break white light up into its constituent rainbow colors. In the single minded pursuit of maximum light return, modern brilliant cut gems have sacrificed dispersion to produce maximum brilliance. As a result they have become soul-less light return machines. A well cut baroque brilliant by contrast will exhibit a balance of brilliance and dispersion that gives the diamond its distinct character and beauty–a character that is missing in so many modern super-ideal cuts.

(image above, side view of Golconda diamond), Compare the color of the center with the side trillion that is definitely not of Golconda origin.

To summarize, there appear to be three visual characteristics that define the beauty of Golconda diamonds: A high degree of limpidity (crystal), an ultra-whiteness and a blue afterglow that appears in natural daylight. Golconda gems are Type IIa diamonds and this can be established by scientific testing. All Type IIa diamonds, however, are not Golconda diamonds; to be considered Golconda, they must possess the visual characteristics just described.

It is unclear whether Type IIa diamonds from other sources possess the characteristics discussed above, there certainly are some that do not. However, in the final analysis, we are interested in gems not geography. in gems beauty is the ultimate criterion. When it comes to Golconda diamonds if they deliver the goods, how much does source really matter.

If you are interested in learning more about Golconda Diamonds or are simply looking for a new way to dazzle your friends at cocktail parties. Read more about the four Cs of connoisseurship. Follow me on gem buying adventures in the pearl farms of Tahiti. Visit the gem fields of Australia and Brazil. 120 carefully selected photographs showing examples of the highest quality gems to educate the eye, including the Rockefeller Sapphire and many more of the world’s most famous gems. Consider my book: Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide To Precious Gemstones.


“Wise is a renowned author… He’s
done a marvelous job of this first book, monumental work, a tour de force…My recommendation: Buy this book”.

Charles Lewton-Brain, Orchid

Only $37.95. Read a couple of chapters online: www.secretsofthegemtrade.com.

Buy it on Amazon: www.amazon.com

“Secrets of the Gem Trade” subject of Ventfort Hall lecture

– July 30, 2007

Described by Gemkey Magazine as “one of the world’s foremost gem connoisseurs,” gemologist Richard W. Wise will bring his expertise to a Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum visual presentation on Wednesday, August 29 at 4 p.m. A Victorian Tea will follow this final lecture of Ventfort Hall’s summer series.

Admission for the lecture and tea is $15 per person, members $12. For more information or reservations, please call 413-637-3206. Ventfort Hall is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.