400-Year-Old Diamond Beau Sancy Looking For New Owner (Photo)

400-year-old diamond Beau Sancy (Sotheby's)

A 400-year-old diamond known as the Beau Sancy will be auctioned off by Sotheby's in Geneva next month.

The celebrated diamond has been the privileged witness of over 400 years of European history,  passed down through the Royal Families of France, England, Prussia and the House of Orange.

In 1610, Marie de Medici, one of Europe's richest women, wore the diamond in her crown at her coronation as Queen Consort of Henri IV, as shown in a magnificent portrait by Frans II Pourbus, the Younger, now in the Louvre.

Sotheby's jewelry chairman David Bennett said: "It has a fascinating history, and really is a once-in-a-lifetime sale. When it was made in the 16th century, the pear cut was new, bold, and so it became the most sought-after jewel of its era. Before the 'Beau Sancy' all diamonds were rudimentary."

The Beau Sancy weighs 34.98 carats and is a modified pear double rose cut. Among its striking features are its 110 identical and symmetrical facets, including the two small table facets. It is thought to be the first Indian diamond in Europe that originated from the famous gem mines in the Indian city of Golconda.

According an Associated Press report, the historical gem is currently on display in Paris and will brought to London and Zurich before it goes on sale in Geneva on May 14. It is expected to fetch $2-4 million.