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The Affair of the Diamond Necklace
One upon a time a diamond necklace helped cause a revolution.
It all started back in 1772 when King Louis XV of France decided to woo his mistress, Madame du Barry with the gift every girl adores, diamonds. He commissioned a necklace to be made by the jewelers Charles Boehmer and Paul Bassange. Louis XV seems to ascribe to the go big or go home comportment, or perhaps he just made a big mistake and needed to apologize. Either way, the King wanted this diamond necklace to be a jaw dropping statement piece, and he agreed to pay 15 million in today’s dollars to do the job. Of course payment would be given only upon the delivery of the necklace, as no one asks the king to pay up front. Yet another reason it’s good to be the king.
The jewelers Boehmer and Bassange set to work using their own capital to source and purchase the diamonds for the necklace. This being the 1700s this process took a great deal of time. It makes me grateful to be able to click and ship anything from the internet while sitting on my sofa in pajamas. Unfortunately, King Louis XV did not have this time to spare, as the king expired from smallpox in 1774. His death left his grandson King Louis XVI on the throne, Madame du Berry banished from the court, and the jewelers with a very fancy necklace but no customer.
