The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-04-09
The Value of Some OF the Largest
Known Diamonds.


The finest diamonds are clear and
transparent as drop of pure water.
But besides these stbrilliants of the first
water. as they are called both techni-
cally and in ordinary conversation, there
are colored diamonds of every sort and
hue. A yellow shade is considered OBJ
jectionable in diamond; SO also is a
cinnamon color. Next to rose-colored
diamonds green take rank in the market;
next to green, blue, and next to blue,
black. The value of the diamond may,
according to some writer's on the subject,
be ascertalned by regular formula, ac-
cording to which the square of the
weight in carats must be multiplied by a
sum varying according to the condition
and quality of the stone. If the dia-
rond is of good water and of fine shape
this sum may be put down at $40. If,
however, the diamond be perfect in
quality and also perfectly cut, the sum
to be taken as the basis of the calculation
will be $50 or $40. Big diamonds have
larger theoretical value than small
ones; but, as matter of fact, diamonds
of large size have often to be cut up be-
fore they could be disposed of in the
market.
When in 1887 the Deccan booty, OBJ
tanned by the army of Lord Hastings.
was sold magnificent diamond weigh
ing 375I grains, and of the purest water,
brought at auction SIS, 900. In the
present day the finest diamonds are held
by Portuguese, Spanish, French and
English families in the order named and
the best market for them is in the United
States. Among historical diamonds an
important place must be assigned to the
celebrated Pitt diamond, of which the
weight was 430 carats. But after being
cut-a process which occupied two
years-it was found to have been re-
duced to the weight of 1876 carats, and it
was then sold to the Regent of Orleans,
for S675, 900. Its present value is said
to be 81 ,000, 900, though it might be
difficult to find purchaser for it at that
price. The Pitt diamond-or Regent
diamond, as it was called after having
passed into the hands of the Duke of
Orleans-became one of the crown dia-
monds of France It was destined to
meet with strange adventures; for, after
being placed by Napoleon on the hilt of
the sword of State, it was captured by
the Prussians at Waterloo.
A diamond of literally inestimable
value, belonging to the King of Portugal,
and of Brazilian origin, is said to be
worth upward of $4,000, 600; but this
value is clearly not its value in exchange
For the historical interest attached to it
no diamond can be compared to Her
Majesty's Koh-i-noor. Originally dug
from the mines of Golconda, it passed to
successive soyereigns of Central India,
and in the early part of the fourteenth
century was added to the treasures of
na11 l.. 90
The reigning family until the invasion,
m the eighteenth century, of Nadir Shah
who, seeing it in the turban of the van
quished Mahommed, proposed to him an
exchange of head dresses, and, the polite
offer being perforce accepted, bore away
with him the priceless jewel. After the
assassination of Nadir Shah, the ssMoun-
tain of Light" passed through the hands
of Ahmed Shah of Cabul to Shah Soojah,
who gave it as the price of his liberty to
Runjeet Singh, ruler of Punjaub. On
the annexation of Punjaub in 1849, it
was stipulated that the Koh-i-noor should
be surrendered to the Queen of Eng
land, who received it from the East
India Company in 1850. At the great
exhibition of 1851 this famous diamond
was necessary to surround it with gas
lights in order to bring out its colors.
The Russians have a very good dia-
mond known as the Orloff. It is about
the size of pigeons egg, and at one
time formed the eye of an idol in the
temple of Brahma at Pondicherry.
Brahma was robbed of it by French
deserter, from whom it found it's way to
Greek merchant established somewhere
on the shores of the Mediterranean, who
sold it to Count Orloff, at that time in
command of the Russian Mediterranean
squadron, for half million roubles, and
an annuity of twenty thousand roubles,
and patent of nobility.-PaH Mall