Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-10-08
A PRECIOUS GEM.

Ahe FInulnS OF Great African DlainOhos
and Its Transportation to London.
An Amsterdam correspondent tells
the story of the immense African dia-
mond, weighing 457 carats in the
rough, which is in process of being cut
by Mr.. Jacques Metz, one of the larg-
est diamond-cutters of that city. The
stone is said to have a somewhat
curious history, and. though its exact
birthplace is only matter of con-
lecture, it is known that it was found
by somebody in one of the four mines
of Kimberly. in the Cape Colony, South
Africa. 1t is said that in June or July
of last year one of the surveillance
officers of the Central Mining Com
pany in the Kimberly nIire found the
stone. and. beng exempt from search.
carried it through the searching house
unpercejved. and sold it t. four irreg-
ular dealers for $4,000. Hefore leav-
ing the province the new owners had a
night OF drinking and gant ling. which
ended i'll two of them becoming its
owners Instead of four. Thu two own
ers escaped the secret police and
reached Cape Town, where ~hey found
a dealer who readily paid them 800. 600
for the stone. There is an export duty
on diamonds shipped from Cape Col
ony of one-fourth per cent, but it
appears that this stone was struggled
out of the colony by passenger on
the mail steamer and brought to Lon
don. where its presentation at Hatton
Garden created great sensation. A
former resident at the Cape mines man.
aged to form a company of eight per-
sons. who bought the stone between
them for 1925, 900 cash, on condition
that the seller or sellers should re-
ceive a ninth share of the eventual
profits. The real value of the stone
has been estimated at London at
above S1,OO0.0OO. According to the
rules of valuation of the famous Taver-
ner diamond. its value would be
81, 166, $50. The correspondent says
that the art of diamond-polishing ex-
listing in Amsterdam for more than
three centuries has been brought to
such perfection that it is expected that
this stone, weighing in the rough 457
carats (and said to be whiter and pur-
err than any of its historical predeces-
sors), will lose in working much less
than other famous stones; that it will
be more rapidly finished, and it has
every chance of remaining the larg
est and finest diamond of the whole
world. To enter into comparisons,
he says, 1.-The Great Mogul. now in
the Persian treasury, weighed in the
rough 7S7 carats, but through the inca
pacity of the Venetian workman, the
stone lost in cutting 507 carats. Shah
Jehan. instead of paying for the work.
made the workman pay him fine of TO-
900 rupees. and would have taken mo re-
if he had it. As it is. the stone is yet
the largest of all known, weighing now
$50 carats. The next in size is the Or
loft, forming the top of the imperial
Russia scepter. and weighs 1875 ca
rats. This stone formed one eve of
Brahmin idol, and was stolen by
French soldier who fell in love with the
Next in weight follows the regent. one
rough state it weighed 2l0 carats; it
took two years to cut it, and 10000
francs worth of diamond powder was
used in its polishing. Its present
weight is 1856 IS carats. Next we
come to the Koh-i-noor, the property
of Her Majesty, the Queen of Great
Britain. The stone was first cut in
Indie" holding 1856 i-2 carats, but it
missed all the fire that such a magnifi-
cent stone ought to possess. Hence
the Queen had it recut in the brilliant
form by the eminent cutter Noorz-
anger. especially ordered to London
for the purpose. The cutting was per-
formed in a mastery manner, and,
though losing 81 1-2 carats in working,
the stone was trebled in value. The
Star of the South has also been pol
ished here in Amsterdam, at the mills
of the late Mr.. Coster. 1t is in the
shape of an oval brill ant, and now
weighs 12J Lie carats. -Man,tt actur.
ing JeUeler.