The Sancy Diamond

  Nicholas Harlay de Sancy bought the Sancy Diamond in Constantinople in 1570; he was the French Ambassador to Turkey. The diamond was colorless, shield-shaped, and weighed 55.23 carats. When Nicholas Harlay de Sancy returned to France with the Sancy diamond, Henry III borrowed it; he was very uncomfortable with his baldness and added the diamond to a petite hat that he wore to conceal his lack of hair. Harlay de Sancy was appointed Superintendent of Finance during the subsequent reign. During this time Henry IV borrowed the Sancy Diamond to hire soldiers; he used it as a defense for considerable loan. A messenger was later sent with the diamond; however, he never arrived at his intended location. Harlay de Sancy knew that the messenger was trustworthy so he spawned an investigation to find him; the messenger’s dead body was discovered, thieves had stalked him and the Sancy Diamond was in his stomach. He had obviously swallowed the diamond to prevent the thieves from stealing it. Harlay de Sancy later sold the diamond; it went through a few sundry owners and was stolen from the Royal Treasury in 1792. It appeared at some sales and expositions along the years. Then, in 1906 William Waldorf Astor bought the Sancy for a gift on behalf of his son’s wedding to Nancy Langhorne; after the marriage, she was referred to as Lady Astor. Lady Astor used the diamond in her tiara; in 1964 she passed away and the Sancy Diamond was then passed to her son.