Regent Diamond

The Regent Diamond is one of the most famous and historically significant diamonds in the world. Discovered in 1698 in the Kollur mine near Golconda, India, the rough stone originally weighed 426 carats. It was purchased by Thomas Pitt, governor of Madras, who had it cut in London into a cushion-shaped brilliant of 140.64 carats, a process that took two years.

In 1717, Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Regent of France, purchased the diamond for 2 million livres, giving it the name by which it has been known ever since. The stone was set in the crown worn by Louis XV at his coronation in 1722, and later adorned the crowns and jewelry of successive French monarchs. Napoleon Bonaparte had it mounted in the hilt of his coronation sword.

During the French Revolution, the diamond was stolen along with other crown jewels in 1792, but it was recovered in an attic in Paris. Today the Regent Diamond is displayed in the Apollo Gallery of the Louvre, alongside other treasures from the French Crown Jewels. Its exceptional clarity, perfectly balanced cut, and extraordinary size make it widely regarded as the most beautiful diamond in the world.