Jewellery in the 17th century

Italian Baroque, characterised by sweeping forms, sinuous curves, scrolls, floral motifs and other complex decorative elements, dominated the arts in general at the beginning of the century. Gradually, a distinctively French artistic vocabulary, imbued with classicism, toned down this exuberance and became established throughout Europe. In the second half of the century, under the splendour of Louis XIV, Paris replaced Rome as the artistic capital. But before that, during the first half of the century, the period between Henry II and Louis XIV, marked by the Wars of Religion and an excessively nomadic and hectic life at court, was a period of regression for jewellery.

Diamonds

Thanks to the patronage of Jules Mazarin, the future cardinal and minister under Louis XIII, in 1640 lapidaries perfected a 32-facet cut that marked the beginning of the gem’s success. Diamonds became the preferred material of the 17th century, and seduced Louis XIV. A diamond fanatic, he created a new effervescence in French jewellery by placing extravagant orders for opulent jewels. He established quality standards for diamonds and personally supervised the selection and cutting of stones destined for the Court. Numerous pieces were added to the ‘Crown Jewels’ collection created by François I, including the blue diamond, later known as the Hope diamond. Most likely, this mythical diamond came from a mine in India and was brought to France by the French merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.