The Diamond Necklace Affair

     The Diamond Necklace Affair happened in 1772 because of Lewis XV decided to give Madame du Barry a special gift.  The estimated cost for this special gift was 2,000,000 livres.  It cost this must because he wanted it to be made with Parisian jewelers, Boehmer and Bassenge, to create a unique diamond necklace.  This request took the jewelers several years to find and complete the diamond necklace.  When the jewelers finished Lewis XV diamond necklace, he had died from smallpox, and Madame du Barry was banished from court.  Even though Lewis XV had died and Madame du Barry was banished from court, the jeweler didnt want to give up and take apart the necklace.  He then hoped that the necklace that was now made from festoons, pendants,and tassels, could be a gift to the new queen of France Marie Antoinette. Then in 1778 the new king Lewis XVI gave the necklace to Maire Antoinette was a gift to his wife.  Maire Antoinette then refused to take the necklace, as she said that the money could have been spent on better things, such as equipping the man-of-war.  As some said that Marie Antoinette refused to wear the necklace because she wouldn't wear anything that was made for another women.  Especially if that women was a courtesan disliked by the Queen. 
            The affair happened when a con artist named Jeanne de Saint-Remy de Valois convinced a plan to get wealth off of the diamond necklace. When she came up with this plan, she wanted to get Marie Antoinette's lover to think it was her.  She then hired another lady that looked alot like Marie Antoinette.  Her name was Nicole Leguay d'Oliva, she convinced Rohan, Marie Antoinette's lover to ask her to be his queen.  Not knowing that it wasn't the girl he wanted to get married to.  Marie Antoinette found out and the two ladies were taking care of by the king and queen before Marie Antoinette and Rohan became them.  Rohan then finally bought the necklace costing him 2,000,000 livres.