The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-08-02
BIG DI4MONDS.
One Stone TaIHed ut $500 900, O,OO0-HOtc
Diamonds Injured by CuttjnJ.

One Stone VafUed at $500 900 ,OOO-HOtc
Diamonds are Injured by Cutting.
1t is not very easy to make out which is
the largest diamond nowin existence. Two
are mentioned as entitled to that honor
the Braganza, in the crown of Portugal,
and one which belongs to the Rajah of
Mattan in Borneo. The Portuguese
jewel is of doubtful quality. 1t weighs
$50 carats, and is the size of a hens
egg, but it is believed to be only white
topaz. The Portuguese Government
withhold any information on the subject,
but If it is genuine it is worth nearly
$500, ,OOO, 900. The Borneo gem was
found on the island about 120 years ago,
and weighs 367 carats. A Governor of
Batavia is said to have offered $3.50, 900
and two men-of-war for it without sue
cess, and, though many battles have been
fought over it, the Rajah regards it as a
talisman, and it Is still in possession of
the same family. The Orloff diamond
in the Russian imperial scepter weighs
194a carats; Catharine III gave $3.50, 900
for it, and pensioned the merchant who
brought it to her at $4,000 year. 1t
is not cut to advantage, and another
among the Russian crown Jewels, which
weighs eighty-six carats, is but partly cut.
1t is easy to understand reluctance to
have diamonds cut The advantages of
cutting are not always very plain, while
the enormous diminution of weight
which commonly ensues affects the pub
lie estimation more than the increase of
brilliancy. The famous diamond which
the Regent Orleans bought from Gov.
Pitt for $675, 900 formerly weighed 40
carats, but was reduced by cutting to
1861. The Duke of Westminster has
one which was reduced by cutting from
so to 7S carats But the most promi-
nent example of the kind is afforded by
the recent history of the Koh-i-noor,
which weighed 1856 carats when it arrived
in England, and lost eighty by cutting
in 1851. Why it was cut at all nobody
seems very well able to say, and compe-
tent judges deny that its brilliancy has
been increased to such an extent as to
make up for the loss. Sir David Brews-
ter warned Prince Albert of the impossi-
bility of improving the iuster without
serious diminution of weight; but a for
eign diamond merchant thought differ
emily, and, as is usual in England, any
opinion on matters of the kind is taken
before that of a native. The vulgarity
of taste which only admires regularity
has deprived the world of many great
diamonds, and we shall probably have
10 wt,ib lung before it IS universally ar-
knowledged that symmetry is not abso-
lutely necessary to beauty. The ancient
regalia of the Visigothie Kings in the
Hotel Cluny, the so-called sword of
Charlenagnc in the Louvre, the ruby in
the English crown at the Tower, are not
less beautiful because they look a little
rough. The great jewel wearers and
collectors, the Raiahs of India, seldom
have their diamonds cut into regular
forms, and the Koh-i-noor was no excep-
ton. Its history may be traced for
nearly 2, 900 years, and it seems that at
some remote period it weighed 1889 car
ats; but that Shah Jehan had it cut by
Venetian in his service, who con-
trived to reduce it 20 1S6, which it
weighed when it reached England.