Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-07-24

We take the following Interesting state
menta from the New York Times 0f yaster-
day. II would very much enhance the inter-
est attaching 10 gems II their history were
more easily traceable. No doubt large pnO-
portion Of the hnesl STONES have had very
varied fortunes, and II they had sPosch could
tell US tales compared with which the famous
Adventures OF Guinea" would be bat a
dull story. Not the least Interesting would
be told by the whllOm precious possessions Of
the soyeregns Of France. What 4 world NJ
emotion must they have Witnessed Where
arc the Tlngs aud bracelets which Marie An
tOlnette wore on that dreadful day when
that wretch, young Druet, recognized the
fugityes ut Varennesl. Perhaps adOrning
the shoulders OF some Newport or Saratoga
belle. At tho ex.Empress' sale, q fortnight
ago, q ring was sold NJ an eX- Empress even
more unfortunate. This was described US
"a Marquise RUG with pink diamond, sur
rounded by brllllants, formerly the property
Of tho Empress Josephine" What hours OF
triumph and Of agony this, too, had proba-
bly, seenl Joyous hours at halmalson, when
she was enjoying greatness thrust upon
her, such as had never been thrust on mortal
woman before, aud times Of lnegable bitter
ness when shP was sacrificed W the insuper-
able ambition Of the most selash OF men.
Probably large proportion Of the finest
gems have passed part OF their time In Ia
belle France. Prior 10 1859 there were superb
collections In that country. Indeed, proved
very fortunate for their posseasOrs that they
had sunk 80 much II this apparently very I'M
remuneratlye Investment, for II stood them In
stead when the fight came, From 1870 to
l7g2 an enormous stock of gems was thrown
on the market. One of the persons who turned
these misiOTtunes Of his nelghboTs to the most
profitable account was the celebrated Thel-
IgssOn, q native Of Switzerland, who had Ap-
GulrOd wealth " y merphant In London, lilo
bought largely, al ludlor0usly low prices, IL Is
said, and thus helped tn heap UP the vast
fortune which no bequeathed in il manner
which he Imagined would make Il Ia future
days the greatest In the world-One hundred
aud forty million pounds sterling. But
Fh0mue PROPOSE u Is only sOme one hundred
aud afly thousand dollars year, for those
| Fogues VI the ''lOng robe, aud others like
unto them, picked 80 many golden pieces OF
II eQ route. Rundell 4 Bridge, the crown
jewellers, who were 70 the royalty Of England
| what the famous BghmeT a. BOssange, OF
diamond necklace fame, were TO poor Marie
/ Antoinette, also did remarkably WE'LL and
Mr.. Rundells great nephew aud helT, Blr
/ John Neld, Bari, VI. p, no doubt Is In SOME
degree Indebted for these handles aud appen-
dages TO his name % the terrible energy OF
Messrs. RObesplerre, DantOn, MArat h Co.
The very hnest diamonds now come oyer
here. Probably many purchased Gt poor Eu-
Il
these shores In London theywlll not give
the price. NotlOng slnoea diamond merchant
there broke up hundred thousand dollar
necklace, composed Of, stones selected With
great care. He could not flnd q purchaser.
Jewellers charge Immense prices, but they
they have 10 keep an enormous capital In
stock, which for months, sometimes years,
Yields nothing.
When Mrs Sydney Smith married, thu
| young couple had no ready cash wherewltf
10 furnish their modest home, but, by good
luck, Mrs. Sydney had Inherited a splendid
pearl necklace, They took II 10 Hamlet
then the Tiffany Of LOndon-and were hugely
delighted TO exchange Il for crisp bank nOtel
amounting TO e. 500. Years after, when thu
smiles Of fortune had amply descended OF
them, Mrs. Sidney Was mRkl0g a purchase
at Hamlet's, when her eye lit on o splendid
pearl necklace. II knew every bead q
once" she said, The pflce was demanded
Tue jGiHs elegant who was serving her tool
II lightly up, aud replied, IA though II wa
the meTest tTihe, "Fliteen hundred gulneas
Madam" Such Is the slender margin whlcl
the leylathans Of jewellers reserve 10 them
selves against loss, The fashionable auc
ti6neers Of such articles must also make
pretty good thing Of the sales. Il recently
came out M some ChanCery proceedings, rela
tive 10 the sale Of the late Marquis oil Hast
hgs' jewels, that Christie h Manson WOult
not conduct the sale under seven and hal
per cent, at which rate they must hRy
cleared on the empress jewels over hlteel
Thousand dollars In one day. This firm mus
nightly offer up prayer for French ToyOlu
tlons.