Gilles Legare in the Court of Louis XIV
"During the 17th century the number of pieces of jewelry worn decreased, as did the fashion for male adornment. The last monarch to make heavy use of jewels was Louis XIV, and the word heavy is used here in a literal sense, the great weight consisting mainly of gems with which the monarch covered himself for official ceremonies. He had his own personal jeweler, Gilles Légaré, who was a guest in the Louvre palace. He was not the only sovereign, however, who enjoyed showing off his jewels nor was Versailles the only court in Europe to follow the king's example ..."[from http://www.jewelers-inet.com/http://www.jewelers-inet.com/]
"Gilles Legare (fl. c.1660), court jeweler to Louis XIV of France, was responsible for some of the finest designs of the late 17th century. Louis XIV was the last monarch to wear large numbers of jewels. Among Legare's designs are the Sevigne, or bow ornament, a form of jewelry that has never lost its popularity, and girandole pendants, a form used for brooches and earrings that remained fashionable until the end of the 18th century."[from http://www.thomasmichaels.com/ThomasMichaels/gold.htmlhttp://www.thomasmichaels.com/ThomasMichaels/gold.html ]