647 Diamonds. One Forged Letter. The Scandal That Helped Start a Revolution.

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]In 1785, Jeanne de la Motte Valois convinced a French cardinal that Marie Antoinette wanted him to secretly purchase a necklace.

[00:00:09]She claimed the queen desired it, but wished to keep the transaction discreet.

[00:00:14]This magnificent necklace, originally for a mistress of Louis the 15th, contained 647 dazzling diamonds.

[00:00:22]It was without doubt one of the most expensive and coveted objects in all of Europe. Cardinal Louis de Rohan, trusting the scheme, arranged the purchase on credit. The necklace was then handed to someone he believed represented the queen, but it was immediately broken apart.

[00:00:40]>> [music] >> Its precious diamonds sold off piece by piece.

[00:00:44]Marie Antoinette had never requested the necklace. The authorization letter was a forgery. When the jewelers arrived at the palace expecting payment, >> [music] >> the entire scheme unraveled. Cagliostro, an occultist, was linked to Rohan through their shared interest in [music] alchemy. He was arrested in January 1786, imprisoned in the Bastille on suspicion of involvement. After months, he was brought to trial and acquitted. No evidence linked him to the fraud.

[00:01:15]Despite his innocence, Cagliostro was unjustly expelled from France.

[00:01:20]Jeanne de la Motte, the true architect, was convicted, flogged, and branded. The affair destabilized Cardinal de Rohan and fueled public contempt for the French court. It significantly contributed to the volatile atmosphere building towards the French Revolution.

[00:01:37]Just 3 years after Cagliostro's release, the Bastille itself was torn down.