New-York tribune., 1880-02-29
FAMOUS REAL DIAMONDS.
From The Pail Mall Gazette.

From The PdN M0H gazette.
The finest diamonds clear and transparent as
drop of pure water But besides these brilliaDts
of the first water" as they are called both tcchn-
calIy and ordinary conversation. there are coli
ored diamonds of every sort and hue. yellow
shade is considered Objectionable in a diamond; so
also is cinnamon color. Next to rO9e-coiored
diamonds green take rank in the market next to
green blue and next TO blue black. The value #
diamond may, according to some writers on the
subject. be ascertained by regular formula. ac'
cOrdng 20 which the square OF the weight in caTats
must be multiplied bv a sum varying according TO
the condition and quality OF the stone IL tle
diamond ia of good water and of fine shape this
sum may be put down at $40. II, however, the
diamond be perfect In quality and also perfectly
cut the sum to be taken the basis of the calcula-
tion will be $50 or $40 Big diamonds have a
larger theoretical value than small ones; iut,
matter of fact, diamonds OF large size have often
had to be cut up before they could be disposed Of
III the market.
When in 1887 the Deccan booty obtained by the
army Of Lord Hastings, was sold a magnificent
diamond weighing 375i2 grains, and OF the
purest water, brought at auction only $4,000
In the present day the finest diamonds are
held by Portuguese, Spanish, French and
English families in the order named and tho
best market for them II in the United States
Among historical diamonds an important place must
be assigned 10 the celebrated PIT diamond OF
which the weight 43O caTats. But after being
cut-a process which occupied two years-it was
found to have been reduced to the weight OF l30
carats and II then sold 10 the Regent OF OI-
leans for f075 900. Its present value IL said 10 be
81 900, ,000 though II might be difficult To find
purchaser Cor II at that price. The PITT diamond
passed into the hands of the Duke Of Orieans-be-
came one of the Crown diamonds of France. II was
destined to meet with strange adventures Tor after
being placed by Napoleon the hlt of the sword
of State 10 was captured by the Prussans at W Water
loo.
diamond of literally inestimable value belong
ing to the King of Portugal. and Of BRAZILIAN
origin, il sand to be worth upward Of S25Uo,OOO;
but this value is clearly not It's value IN exchange
For the historical interest attached TO lt no dia-
moud can be compared 10 her Majesty's koh-i.noof
Originally dug from the mines Of GOlcOnda. 1t
passed u successive soyereigns of Central lndia
and in the early part Of the fourteenth century was
added 20 the treasures of Delhi. IL remained IN the
POSSESSION of the Teignng family until the INVASION
the eighteenth century, OF Nadlr Shah, VINO, see
ing it in the turban of the vanqushed Mahommed,
proposed to him an exchange of headdresses, anu
the polite offer being perfOrcc accepted, bore away
with him the priceless jewel. Alter the asslsslna-
tion OF Nadr Shah, the " Mountain OF Light"
passed through the hands OF Ahmed Shah, OF Cabul,
to Shah Soo ah, who gave II as the prI4e oi ms I'D
erty TO Runjeet Singh. ruler of the Punlaub. On
the xatlon of the Punjaub IN ls49 II was stip-
ulated that the KOh-l-nOor should be surrendered
10 the Queen of FL gland who received u from the
East India Company IN 1880 Al thC great EXllbi-
tiOn OF 1851 this famous diamond was found H.
ferOr 10 its glass model, and II was necessary
TO surround IL with gas-llghts in order to bring out
its cOlOTs.
The Russians have very good diamond known
as the OTlOft. 1t Is about the SIC OF pigeon egg.
and al one time formed the eye of an ldnl m tho
Temple of Brahma at POndlcherry. BrahmI was
robbed Of II by French deseTter. from whom II
found Its way tO Greek merchant established
sold il to Count Orloff at that time IN command OF
the Russian Mediterranean squadron, for half
million roubles. an annuity OF 10000 rOubeS, anu
a patent OF nobility.