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Background
The De Molliere family were part of the French aristocracy. The first notable mention of the family was recorded in the late 14th Century and the family can trace its origins to the tiny village of Mollieres; in the Gascony region of South West France. Renowned for their work extracting and sourcing rare jewels for the French Monarchy, the family’s descendants continue their ancestors work by operating within the jewellery trade to this day.

Crest
The family crest carries a ‘field of Gules’ (red), a colour restricted by ancient law to princes and their families since its first appearance in 1454. It can be seen on all ancient literature pertaining to the ‘Molliere’ family.

Etymology
Aside from its shared configuration with the village of Mollieres, the De Molliere family name could have some association with historical words associated with ‘King, Mother, and Earth’ which in these terms could mean either – ‘a Bastard son of King, later legitimised’ or ‘a quarry, or a marshland of rich soil.’

Thumbnail Biographies
1.	Bertrand De Molliere, is the earliest recorded family member, appearing in writing dating from 1399. The De Molliere family is first mentioned in 1399. In July of this year, Bertrand De Molliere was returning from the Battle of Nicopolis when he rendered homage to Charles 6th of France, effectively ‘donating’ all his estates and lands in Ste-Croix, to the Royal Estate, as well as gifting the King with a ruby he'd allegedly acquired from the Ottomans. 2.	Antoine De Molliere, was granted the title of Lord of La Bastidette in September 1540. A historical association with the profession of gemstone mining can be traced herein. as it was well established that a Royal Family member would be distinguished by the riches he possessed, and Diamonds, Gold, Silver and other valuable objects were the focus of much attention and many an expedition to foreign lands were the order of the reigning monarchs of most European nations, including The King Of France. 3.	Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, the famous playwright was also known as 'Molière'. A renowned satirist and comedian, Poquelin adopted the nom-de-plume ‘Moliere’ after the De Molliere family helped settle the artists debts. 4.	Louis De Molliere, held the positions of the King's Counsellor and President of the General Treasury. In 1650, Louis De Molliere travelled to the Kollur Mine on the Krishna River in India and brought back samples of both blue and white diamonds. Upon his return, Louis established a residence in Versailles; where the family still maintain a property to this day. 5.	Gilbert De Molliere, Lord of Albans and of Talans, was named Captain of the Confederation of La Voulte following the revolution of 1789. Gilbert played a minor role in securing the emancipation of the Jews thanks to his influence in the diamond-trading community. Subsequently, the six-pointed mullet (star) was added to the family shield.

1940’s to Present
With France evolving from a Monarchy to a Republic, to an Empire, and then back again to a modern Republic, married with the great exodus of diamond mining from India to Brazil and South Africa, the family retreated from public life and retained only a handful of discerning clients into the 20th Century, most notable being Queen Amelie of Portugal. When the Nazis invaded France in 1940, the uneasy alliance with the Vichy Government meant that the fate of the Jews was in the balance. Roland De Molliere, a young officer in the French Resistance, used his knowledge of the countryside and smuggling routes to assist in the transportation of Jewish families to safety in Spain and North Africa. The coded messages he left in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles - his preferred method of communicating instructions to other cells within the Resistance network - were always signed with the images of 3 diamond shapes; one blue, one white, and one red. Roland was attacked by a German patrol and captured. He was beaten and tortured over many days and the injuries he sustained forced him to remain in a POW hospital until the end of the war. Afterwards, he became a celebrity photographer in Deauville and Cannes, working with actors such as Eddie Constantine, Juliet Greco and Jean-Paul Belmondo, all of whom were reputed to have worn diamonds sourced by Louis De Molliere and passed down through the generations. His grandson, Pascal De Molliere continues Roland’s work today. As a photographer, Pascal’s subjects have included luminaries such as Sir Anthony Sher, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellan.

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