Crown Jewels of France

The Crown Jewels of France have been passed through many generations of royal families, but because of a history of robberies, there are only a few remaining from the original collection. The jewels can be dated back to 1494 during the reign of Francis I. The collection originally consisted of six pieces valued at $700,000.

Over the years, more and more gems were collected and placed with the Crown Jewels of France. In 1791, during the French Revolution, inventory was done on the jewels and they were finally put on display for public view. Even with guards, gems were stolen for five nights straight and when finally noticed, there were only $100,000 worth of gems left. When Napoleon I became emperor, he made a point to gather many gems to add to the collection, as did emperors after him.

The value of pearls alone in the inventory done in 1791 was $200,000. There were a variety of pearls in many different settings and on average each single pearl was only worth $19 at the time. These pearls would be valued about 5 times more today. Among the collection there are two pear shaped pearls in a crown worn by Empress Eugenie, each about 113 grains.

Crown Jewels of France

The remaining Crown Jewels can be seen at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

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