1. The Louis XV crown
Donn by: Louis XV
Since 1722, the owner
*Estimated Value Before Glass Replacement: $58.16 million
This magnificent artwork was made for French King Louis VI in 1722 and used at the king's coronation. It was lavishly set with diamonds from the Royal Collection of France. Regent, Sancy, and Mazarin diamonds were used by Laurent Ronde to create the Crown of Louis XV.
Louis XV's Crown ©CSvBibra/Wikimedia Commons
Hundreds of sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds were among the additional stones. Twenty crowns from France's "Ancient Regime" were preserved in Saint-Denis until the French Revolution of 1793 destroyed them. Only six crowns remain in France today; Louis XV's was the only one to survive. Louis XV's was retained even after the French Republic sold off its royal crowns in 1885; however, tinted glass took the place of the valuable stones.