Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-12-05

badly taken in when he sold it to IL citizen
of Berne for three crowns. In 1892, while
Columbus WAS on his voyage of discovery
to America, it was sold in Luccrne for five
thousand ducats. But we will pass many
items of narrative in relation to it to say
that when Henry w. was in great want of
money the Sieu? de Sancy, whose name
the gem now bears, wished to send his
diamond for the King to pledge to the
Jews to raise money upon. He sends n
trusty servant TO carry it, instructng him
to swallow it, if beset by robbers, which
were so common in those days. The mes
scnger WAS found dead on the road and
buried by peasants. DE Sancy, impatient
that his messenger does not arrive, and
hearing of his death, seeks for his body,
disinters it, opens it, and finds his jewel.
Louis w., in some unknown manner, OBJ
tanned this diamond and wore it at his cor
onation. In 1889 it was stolen in some
way from the crown treasures, and was
not heard of again until 1882, when it was
sold by merchant in Paris, 1t is valued
at over a million of francs, or about two
hundred thousand dollars.
The British in their conquest of India
obtained diamond as large as a common
walnut, and pure as a drop of dew. 1t is
ranked as one of the richest of the crown
treasures. 1t is called the Nassuck "
diamond.
There was once n large blue diamond,
the property Of the French Court, that
was also stolen at the great robbery of
the crown jewels, that has never been
heard from since. AS blue is rare hue
for the diamond whoever can discover its
hiding place will receive three million of
francs as a reward for his luck 1t is
doubtless hidden in Paris.
But l will say no more of single stones,
but ask the reader if he would not like to
look upon Queen Isabel H., who at the re-
ceptiom of the ambassy from Morocco,
wore diamonds to the value of two million
of dollars?
1t was not uncommon for u monarch's
sword to have a jewelled hlt that display
ed n hundred thousand dollars or more of
those precious gems. The gallants of the
court of Louis XIV. carried extravaganza
as far as the famous Egyptian queen
she dissolved pearl-they pulverized
diamonds to prove their insane magniii-
cence. A lady having expressed desire
to have the portrait of her pet canary in
ring, the Prince de Cont requested that
she accept it ms token of esteem from
him. She accepted it upon the condition
that no precious stones should be set in the
ring. When he gave it to her beauti-
full diamond covered the painting. The
lady had it taken out and returned to the
giver. The Prince, determined that she
should have it, had it pulverized, and used
it as sand to dry the ink on his letter that
he wrote her upon the subject.
five come to our own country, diamonds
and other gems are not among the rarities,
but are, on the other hand, quite common.
The hundred and twenty-five thousand dol
lar diamond sported by Tweed, and the
numerous brillants that were worn by
James Fisk have been made notorious by
our pictorial papers. That wealthy min
eralogist. DR.. A. G. IIambln of Bangor,
Me-, has necklace valued at twenty-five
thousand dollars, the Workmanship of his
own hands. At the Centennial Exhib-
ton, near the center of the main building,
Tiffany & Co of New York had an exhibit
of precious stones, among which were
some of the purest and best diamonds TO
be found. A diamond necklace containing
lwenty-seven pure white stones of rare
perfection, and pair of solitaire earrings
TO match, were sold for ninoly-six thou
sand dollars in gold.
The Peacock Feather, iris formed of the
straw -colored diamond, formerly the prop
erty of the late Duke of Brunswick, 2nd
over six hundred small white diamonds of
the greatest brilliancy, were truly beauIi-
full; valued at fifteen thousand dollars in
gold.
One OF the most brilliant specimens of
the diamond was perfect specimen, un-
set, nine and one-half carats in weight,
valued at ten thousand dollars in gold. 1t
was absolute perfection, as the crowd of
visitants around that iron-bouud and po-
lice protected case Of jewels, representing
nearly IL million and half of dollars in
value, can attest
Perhaps l ought also mention the brooch
and earrings of cats eyes and diamonds.
The cats'-eye is beautiful variety of
vitroous quartz, exhibiting opaescenoe,
but without any prismatic coloring. This
beautiful effect is due to the libres of ashes
tus in the quartz, The cats-eye is highly
Nulutl Ill lHlltt ttilN i|'tous tNub Vi l''eS
has been much sought after in England
and this country. These specimens were
the finest and best matched of any known,
and with their setting Of fine, though
small diamonds, they formed, perhaps, as
whole, the rarest gems in the whole Ex-
hibtion. | understand that they were sold
for seven thousand dollars in gold.
As we turn from the contemplation of
these superior gems, we find in tho hands
of all first-class jewelers. in this country a
variety of diamond pins and earrings,
ranging from the best and most brilliant
stones, s,of two or three carats' weight, down
to those of very small size, and usually
many of them are slightly tinged with
color, and of inferior briliancy. As we
20 into society we find the thousands, of
men and women. that sport diamonds, and