CANVASES, CARATS AND CURIOSITIES

Unlike how it sounds, “crown jewels” refers to much more than simply the largest diamond necklace you’ve ever seen. The term is used to delineate any objects of metalwork or jewelry used in the ceremonial regalia of a current or former monarchy. Everything from crowns, scepters, golden swords, rings, or even drums (as in the case of Burundi’s Karyenda drum) constitutes a crown jewel. Due to their significant and ceremonial nature, crown jewels are usually made from silver-gilt or gold and are heavily decorated with the most precious gemstones.

The very preciousness of the crown jewels is meant to reflect the ultimate authority and power of the wearer. Their continued survival, modification or even disappearance often parallels the rise and fall of regimes, making them a powerful material index of political stability and ambition. When monarchies flourish, their jewels tend to grow in number, size and symbolic meaning; when they falter, these same jewels can be seized, sold or dismantled.

In this way, the crown jewels do more than glitter and look pretty. They record conquests, demonstrate the coronations of kings, reveal shifting political priorities and help illustrate the cultural values each regime sought to promote, which remain relevant to this day. Nowhere is this interplay between object and authority clearer than in the story of the French Crown Jewels.

The Revolution's Unsung Casualties

Prior to King Louis XIV, French rulers possessed jewels, but these were largely personal treasures or heirloom pieces that were sold during crises or accumulated during periods of stability, without being regarded as a permanent state asset. With that said, some early French crown jewels continued to exist into Louis XIV’s time, including the Crown of Charlemagne from 1271. A major step toward formalization occurred under King Francis I, who declared the jewels held by the crown to be incapable of sale or surrender. This act transformed personal property into state treasures and an enduring sign of the French crown’s majesty.

King Louis XIV’s reign ushered in a new age of monarchical influence. His absolutist vision of monarchy hinged on centralization, bringing power, culture and even physical presence directly to him at his newly built Palace of Versailles. By drawing the nobility into a closely surveilled and elaborate world of court ritual, with tightly choreographed etiquette and delineated roles, Louis XIV ensured that every movement in his kingdom unfolded under his gaze.

Absolutism also led to the patronage and establishment of a new, court-ordained style of art known as the Baroque. His Baroque aesthetic, with its deliberate sense of overwhelm and theatrical gilding, reinforced this system. For Louis XIV, splendor itself became a political tool as a visible demonstration of the monarch’s divine right and unassailable authority.

As the ‘Sun King,’ King Louis XIV expanded the royal treasury at a scale unmatched by his predecessors. Among his most influential contributions of precious stones were the 18 Mazarin diamonds, bequeathed to him upon Cardinal Mazarin’s death in 1661. This array of large, beautifully cut white diamonds instantly elevated the splendor and prestige of the French Crown Jewels. But he did not stop there. Over the following decades, he acquired and commissioned an extraordinary array of gems, including the famed 112-carat ‘Tavernier Blue,’ later re-cut into its current iteration as the Hope Diamond (more on that soon). These jewels were then mounted into coronation regalia and ceremonial insignia, transforming the crown jewels into instruments of political messaging.

A Legendary Collector: Queen Marie Antoinette

By the time Marie Antoinette arrived at the court in 1770, the Crown Jewels had already become a potent symbol of monarchical prestige. Even so, Marie Antoinette transformed the treasury with her own additions, creating a legendary collection that matched the taste, theatricality and personal vision she brought to court. Renowned for her keen instinct for fashion, she understood that jewelry was an extension of her identity and an essential part of how she crafted her public persona amidst restrained court etiquette. Her taste aligned perfectly with the late eighteenth century’s shift toward neoclassical refinement, and she quickly became one of the most influential arbiters of style in Europe. Yet the very visibility of her jewels would become inseparable from how her contemporaries judged and ultimately demonized her.

Working within the framework of the Règlement of 1785, she collaborated with jeweler Charles Auguste Boehmer to modernize older settings out of the Baroque style and into settings that reflected her own tastes. She also developed a casket of extraordinary jewels, including rivières of large, matched diamond sets, ropes of natural pearls, cluster earrings, and bracelets of exceptional craftsmanship. Boehmer created a stunning pair of diamond bracelets for her in 1776, costing a whopping 250,000 livres. At Versailles, such jewels served a political function: they reinforced her rank, communicated authority and asserted the dignity expected of a queen consort.

Outside the palace walls, however, they became potent symbols of resentment. While the royal family spent exorbitant amounts on crown jewels, French men and women struggled with worsening economic hardship and famine. In turn, a sense of deepening distrust of the monarchy arose, with Marie Antoinette’s collecting, however typical for a queen, portrayed by critics as extravagant excess.

The Affair of the Diamond Necklace in 1785 dramatically intensified public scrutiny of Marie Antoinette and her jewels, despite her proven innocence. In the scandal, a duo of swindlers, led by the Comtesse de la Motte, convinced the Prince of Rohan that the Queen, who had no knowledge of this, wished him to purchase an extravagant diamond necklace on her behalf. The necklace boasted around 650 diamonds and had an estimated cost of 2,000,000 livres. The swindlers made it seem as though the Queen demanded the necklace be made, then refused to pay for it. In reality, the Comtesse took the piece, broke it down and sold the necklace for parts. Some of these jewels were purportedly reused to create the Sutherland Diamond Necklace, now housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 

Although the scheme was exposed by Marie Antoinette—who had previously refused to buy the necklace due to its gaudiness—critics seized the chance to portray her as reckless and indifferent to the suffering of her subjects. The affair severely damaged her public reputation, reinforcing narratives of royal decadence and corruption. It became emblematic of the disconnect between the court at Versailles and the struggles of the French populace, undermining the Queen’s credibility and amplifying revolutionary sentiment. In many ways, the scandal contributed to the erosion of trust in the monarchy, accelerating the political crises that would culminate in the French Revolution and the eventual downfall of the Bourbon regime.

1789: The Seizure of Royal Jewels

The outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 marked a decisive turning point for the French Crown Jewels. As revolutionary fervor swept through Paris, symbols of royal authority and excess became immediate targets, and the jewels—long associated with the opulence of Versailles and the perceived indifference of the monarchy—were no exception. Revolutionary authorities seized the entire collection, including both the official state jewels and any personal pieces of the royal family that remained, cataloging and securing them in the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, the royal fine arts repository in Paris.

The confiscation was both practical and symbolic. Economically, the crown jewels represented immense wealth that could be liquidated to support the fledgling revolutionary government, help fund public needs, or pay debts accrued by the state. Politically, removing the jewels from the monarchy’s possession struck at the heart of royal prestige, visually and materially undermining centuries of dynastic authority. Charlemagne’s crown and other surviving regalia, as well as the crowns of other queens, were melted down in 1794. The Tavernier Diamond itself disappeared on September 11, 1792, after thieves looted the royal repository. 

However, some pieces of regalia and jewels considered to have artistic value were stored at the Louvre. In this way, the jewels’ survival marked a paradox: they were stripped of their original political power but preserved as artifacts of national heritage. By continuing to exist, they served as a tangible link between the pre-revolutionary monarchy and the post-revolutionary identity.

When Napoleon assumed power and named himself emperor, he restored the crown jewels, totaling 65,072 stones and pearls, by 1814. The succeeding regimes followed suit in restoring and refitting the existing crown jewels and adding new ones to the collection. Once again, this all came to a screeching halt with the end of Emperor Napoleon III’s reign and the sale of the French crown jewels that scattered them worldwide.

The Sale of 1887: French Crown Jewels Go Global

Following the establishment of the Third Republic, the government faced a pressing decision regarding the future of the crown jewels. Viewed as both symbols of monarchical power and a potential financial resource, the government opted for a decisive course: in 1887, it sold nearly the entire collection in an auction at the Louvre, effectively dispersing centuries of royal and imperial treasures across the globe.

The sale included a remarkable array of gemstones and finished pieces, ranging from historic diamonds, rubies and sapphires to elaborate tiaras, necklaces, bracelets and ceremonial regalia. Many famous stones were sold to private collectors and jewelers in Europe, the United States, and beyond. The Tavernier Diamond, in its rock crystal mounting, was most likely re-cut into multiple pieces during its decades-long disappearance. The largest piece, the Hope Diamond, turned up in England in 1839 in a published catalog of Henry Phillip Hope’s gem collection. After over a century of various owners and a trip across the Atlantic, Harry Winston purchased the Hope Diamond from the estate of Evalyn Walsh McLean. In 1958, Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian, quashing any chance of return to France.

While some historically significant pieces had already been preserved in museums or national collections, the 1887 sale ensured that the majority of the jewels would never again serve as instruments of ceremonial display or be wielded as symbols of political power. Instead, they became treasured artifacts of art and history, their provenance a testament to the grandeur and ultimate vulnerability of France’s royal heritage.

Today, visitors to the Louvre can encounter the legacy of the French Crown Jewels in the Galerie d’Apollon, a space designed by King Louis XIV to exude absolute power. Following the dispersal of much of the collection in 1887, the French state retained a select number of extraordinary gems and ceremonial objects, drawing them from a combination of sources: jewels that had been set aside from the 1887 sale, pieces recovered from private collectors or former royal estates, and historically important stones that had never left state possession. This includes the sole surviving crown from the ancien regime: Louis XV’s stunning crown set with the famous 'Regent' diamond and hundreds of other rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds.

These jewels are now displayed as a cultural memory, illustrating the evolution of the French monarchy, artistry and ceremonial splendor. The gallery allows the public to engage with these precious objects outside their original political context, addressing the enduring fascination with the privilege and extravagance afforded to the highest echelons of former French society.

Perhaps that is what makes the October 19, 2025, heist of the French crown jewels all the more shocking. After centuries of turmoil, during which the ravages of conflict tore the crown jewels away from one another, the Louvre was deemed a place to safely reflect on the ways culture and displays of opulence have evolved. The notion that such precious and one-of-a-kind objects, like Empress Eugènie’s imperial state crown, could be taken away so quickly in broad daylight is truly astonishing.

The ambitions, dramas, and vulnerabilities that shaped these jewels continue to shape their circumstances today. And despite centuries of careful preservation, political upheaval and, most recently, public display, the heist illustrates that even objects long considered secure can be caught up in human greed and audacity. Events like this demonstrate that history is constantly unfolding, even into the present. Treasures, scandals and cultural legacies are never static; it may just take someone dressed in a high-visibility vest to put it all in motion. In this sense, the crown jewels remain more than relics of royal power; they are living witnesses to the ongoing story of human fascination with beauty, status and history itself.

Explore more swoon-worthy jewelry (without stealing) in M.S. Rau’s collection here.