Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-03-10
SOME FACTs AROUr DIAMONns.


SOME FACTS ABOUT DIAMONDS.
Trisiorisn, Gems Present csad,tioa and
Tendency Of tae Trade.
OSE Of our reporters yesterday
dropped into The store OF prominent
diamond broker on Broadway, and had
nn entertaining conversation with the
dealer on the subject OF diamonds
,IhediamOnd is aninieresting theme
for extended study" said the dealer,
whose time appeared for the
momcni 10 be unoocupied In
deed the history of some notable
gehs IS as romantic and com
plete as those of the greatest of man
kind. have some historical speci-
mems here, for that matter. But YOU
asked me about the value of diamonds.
SUPPOSE that in the vaults Of the
Equitable Building can be found the
most valuable of any ia the city. There
are few exceedingly valuable ones eX-
posed for sale, Diamonds are not worn
as much as they were some years ago.
notice that some Of our wealihlest Ia
dins wear plain jewelry now in prefer
ence TO diamonds. On state occasions
Mrs, John Jacob Astor wears diamonds
worth several fortunes Mrs A. Il.
Stewart seldom wears them. II is
chiefly thomiddle class OF society that
display thom to any extent. Oar best
trade il among the middle class and
the sporting element of society.
"But as 10 original value. Now.
have made astudy OF diamonds, and his
torytells me that long before the Christ
ian era the crystalllzed form OF pure
carbon was known for It's value as an in
strument for cutting, and had its place
in bijoutry. According to Indian ira
ditiops, the koh-i-noor was found in the
mines OF GOlcOnda long before Christ $
birth. For centuries it was the symbol
4 Of succession among the sovereigns Of
Central India. and in the fourteenth
oentury II became one OF the treasures
tof Delhi. Afterward II came into the
possession OF the Persian monarchs. and
a the victory Of the rebel Nadir Shah
itaRas glitterine in The turban Of Mo-
hafpmed Shah. Nadir politely asked
MohaInned 60 exchange turbans with
him as afnark of friendship. For sew
eorai centuries the Persian mouarchs
possessed IL, and in 1873 1t was made
the price of Shah Shujah's liberty by
his eonaueror, Runjest Singh, of Pun
laub. With the annexation Of Puniaub
n toahe East India Company's territory
- IN 1880 the koh-i.noor became the
property OF the Queen of England,
whose crown IL now adorns. together
with 1876 other gems, the latter being
valued at SS72, 900. The kOh-i-noOr
since being recut weighs l22 81 carats,
and is valued at $500, 600 But this is
only one among many historic gems.
The King of Portugal owns one, which,
81 az II =
doubt, is worth about S2S. 600, 000"
How about the Shah of Persia da-
mondsei
It Is said that they are mostly
bogus. And this accounts for the fact
that diamonds are not so much worn
now as formerly, There Is so much OF
the cheap trash in the market, which
can hardly be distinguished from the
e genuine except by an expert. ! have
diamonds here that cost $40 600 that |
will sell for half price.
But, continued the dealer, you We
heard OF the Orion diamond. one OF the
ornaments Of the imperial scepter of
Russia, 4 was originally the eve in an
a lpdian idol, from whence it was stolen
by French soldier who thought he
was getting d fortune when he sold il
in Madras for 50, 400. Catharlne III. OF
Russia paid S41S,a0o for IT, The Sancy
= q. SloQ,001 brilliant belonging 70
Russia. Henry III. once sent this
jewel 70 Che Swiss Government by q
servant, The servant was assassinated,
p but swallowed the diamond before he
lied and II was afterwards taken from
his stomach. OF other famous dia-
monds there are the French Eugonie,
Z the Tuscany, the Nassac. belonging to
the Marquis OF Westminster. aud valued
atTl4s, 000a the Napoleon Regent, the
! lope, a blue diamond, the Dresden OF
London. the brazilian, the Gar, the
Shahs the Polar Star, and others of al
I most tabhlousworth. None OF tho most
notable diamonds are owned in the
United States, though il was recently
reported that Mrs. John G. Mackey, the
wife OF the mining king. who owns ST.
gVl0o0worth OF diamonds, Is said 70
have purchased one that used to adorn
q crown
Diamond commerce proper begun
"a ll2S. when the Brazilian mines were