The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-07
FAMOUS DIAMONDS.
Some Of the Notable Diamonds of History
The Braganza Stone and the KohinOOr
London telegraph,

To the big diamonds of the world another has
just been added. The latest advices from the
cape report that on the 9th of last March dig
ger was so fortunate as to find rough diamond
meas uring nearly two inches in length and an
inch and quarter in diameter, and weighing no
less than 3O2 carats, This" says Mr.. Bryce
Wright, lis by far the largest precious stone yet
discovered in South Africa, or in fact, else
where, if we except the Pitt and the Nathan in
their uncut state. and some diamonds of ap ocry-
phal history" 1t is a common fallacy to sup
pose that all the large diamonds existing in diff
ferent parts OF the globe are as well known and
as capable of substantiaton as pictures with an
undoubted pedigree. Truth compels us to state
that many of the so-called big diamonds known
to history are little deserving of their
reputation. For instance, it is generally
believed that the BraganZa diamond-which is
now included among the Portuguese state jewels
far exceeds all other gems in size, weight and
value. The Braganza was found nearly cen
fury and half since in Brazil a country which,
rich it undoubtedly is in precious stones of all
kinds, has hitherto yielded but few diamonds.
Brazil, says recent writer of authority, PRO
duces yearly from %, 600 to 10000 carats of dia-
monds, of which not more than 5000 are capable
of being cut, the rest being either very small or
of very inferior quality" If the Braganza stone,
which weighs nearly J., 700 carats, or about twelve
ounces, and is as big as large egg, were beyond
all question a diamond, its commercial value
would be simply incalculable. 1t has never been
cut, however, and the Portuguese govern
ment, jealous of any possible damage to the
national credit which might ensue has
always exhibited "a reluctance to have ''the Bra
ganza" closely examined. even handled, by
experts. widespread belief has therefore
sprung up that instead of being diamond it is
white topaz Even the NATHAN diamond
which has remained for the last century and a
opto inv of nf
Borneo, where the stone was originally found, has
not altogether escaped some inviduous insinua-
tons that it also is a topaz. Be the stone what
it may, it has always been held in exceptional
honor by it's possessors for the time being as a
talisman which brought them happiness, long
life, and good luck. just the Kohinoor al
ways regarded, before the burst of the East
India company, as comforting upon its owner SUI
premacy in Hindoostan. No temptaton-and
many have been offered-has ever awaited to in
duce the rajah and his successors to part with
the NATHAN diamond; and, although many fierce
battles have been fought for its possession, it
has never left the raiah is family.
We come next to that magnificent stone called
variOusy the Great Mogul and the Kohinoor. or
Mountain of Light which in 1850 became the
Queen property. Its reputed history might vie
with that told by the young German baroness in
Sir Walter Scott's beautiful romance of anne
of Geierstein'' to Arthur Philipson about that
lustrous opal gem which turned pale on the APP
proach of poison, and which an ancestor of the
DdftuSSS won IN from bne sultan lreOl-
zond The history of the Kohinoor dates back
vauguely to a period anterior to the birth of
Christ, although nothing is know about it with
positive certainty until it was owned in the four
teenth century by the raah of Malwa From
him it passed successfully into the possession of
the Bahmani, Khlii. Lodi and Mogul kings. I'M
tlin 1879, it came into the hands of Nadir Shah,
the Persian, who gave it the name of "Mountain
of Light When Nadir Shah, at the head of his
wild Tartars, burst over the blue mountains be-
yond the Indus, and descended upon Delhi he
demanded thai everything in the treasury of the
Mogul dynasty should be surrendered to him.
The great grandson of Aurengzebe, Mohammed
Shah, valued the Kohinoor so highly on the
ground, chiefly that it conferred supreme power
and good fortune upon its temporary holder, that
| he kept the gem back from Nadir Shah by con
cealing it in his own turban. The story runs
that woman of his harem who had received
unworthy treatment from Mohammed secretly
apprlsed his conqueror where the jewel was hid
den The two rulers sat down together at a great
feast held at Delhi, and, with protestations
full of oriental insncerty, swore eternal
| friendship and love for each other. Suddenly
Nadir Shah declared to his mortified and
discriminating neighbor that before the
with him. Snatching off his own headdress
Nadr Shah gave it 10 his brother chief and pos
sessed himself of the treasure. No sign of emo
ton or reluctance was exhibited by the subtle
eastern ruler, who trusted that the hidden jewel
would escape detection. and that he should
soon be able to regain possession of
it. Scarcely had he entered his own
tent when Nadir Shah searched his
beaten enemy's turban, and within its folds
he discovered that priceless gem to which he in
stantly gave the name of 1.-THE Mountain of
Light He carried it back with him to Khoros
san, investing it, in his delight with all sorts of
miraculous properties, but when he died his fee
BILE son was unable to retain it. From him it
passed To Ahmed the founder of the Cabui dy-
nasty and it ultimately became the
property of Shah Sujah, who, when dliv-
| an ant Of ahr11 nnI e ,t.sl,E
| took the gem with him and chung
to it with more tenacty than to his life. His
wanderngs brought him at last to Lahore, where
he was the guest of Runjeet Singh, 1.-THE lion of
the Punj aub" rumor reached Runjeets ears
that Shah Sujah carried the Kohinoor about his
person, and he employed every device of menace,
entreaty and caiolery to get hold of tn precious
treasure. For long time he was unsuccessful
until, baled in his efforts. he resolved to try his
hand upon the begun. who was Shah Suia's
wife a length, on the LIST of June, 1913, Shah
Sujah resigned the glorious gem to his conquerer,
avowing that it should alone belong to those who
We're triumphant over their enemies. Every
means were used to induce Runieet to bequath
it on his deathbed to the idol Juggernaut, but
he preferred to hand it to his successor as the
symbol Of empire.
When the Punjaub was annexed by the En-
glish government. the crown jewels of Lahore
we're taken from the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh,
who was then boy, and it was stipulated by
the East India Company that the Kohinoor
should be delivered to her Majesty Lord Dal-
housie sent two officers in charge of the gem to
England, and on June 3, 1850, it passed into the
possession of the future Empress of India. Those
who remember the great exhibition of 1851 will
recall the sensation which the Kohinoor created,
and it then valued at some thing like
ESQ 900. 1t had, however, been so unskillfully
cut that Sir David Brewster recommended that
Herr Noorsanger, an expert from Amsterdam,
should be invited to this country in order that
he might cut out the flaws and reset it.
On the 9th of July the Duke of Wellington
placed the stone upon the cutting mill
weight was decreased by the process from 1856 to
l02 carats. 1t ranks in genenal estimation with
the celebrated Pitt diamond, bought by the
grandfather of the first Earl of Chatham from
| an Indian diamond merchant for E12, 500 From
Governor Pitt it was bought for fabulous sum