The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-10-31
THE GREAT AFRICAN DI4 uOyD.
The Story of How 1t Was Found and How
Carried to Lond on-Its NalueWhen Cnt

| carried TO London-lts NaiueWhen Cut
The Amsterdam correspondent O
! the Manufacturing jeweler tells the
| story OF the immense African diamond
! weighing 457 Carats in the rough
which IS in process OF being cut by
| Jacques Metz, one of the largest dia.
| mond cutters OF that city. The stone
| IS sad to have a somewhat curious
| history, and, though it's exact birth.
! place IS only a matter of conjecture
1t is known that it wasfound by some,
| body III one of the four mines Of Kim
| berley, in the Cape Colony, South AT.
rlca. 1t is said that in June or July
| OF last year one Of the surveillance Of
ticers OF the Central Mining Company
IN the Kimberley mine found the stone,
and, being exempt from search, car
red t through the searching house un-
| perceived and sold it to four irregular
dealers for $4,000. Before leaving
the province the new owners had a
night OF drinking and gambling, which
ended In two of them becoming its
owners instead OF four. The two
owners escaped the secret police and
reached Capetown, where they found
a dealer who readily paid them $685.
| 600 for the stone There is an export
duty on diamonds shipped from Cape
Colony OF One-quarter per cent, but it
appears that this stone was smuggled
out OF the colony by a passenger on
the mail steamer and brought to Lon
don, where its presentation at Hatton
Garden created a great sensation. A
former resident at the Cape mines man
aged to form company OF eight per-
sons, who bought the stone between
them for 1925, 900 cash. on condition
that the seller or sellers should receive
a ninth share Of the eventual profits.
The real value OF the stone has been
estimated at London at above ST.
600, 900. According to the rules OF
valuation ofthe famous Tavernier di-
amond, it's value would be $4,166, $50.
The corr espOndent says that the art
OF polishing existing in Am
sterdam for more than three centu-
ries, has been brought to such perfec-
ton that it is expected that this
stone, weighing in the rough 457 ca
rats land said to be whittier and purer
than any of its predecessors will lose
In working much less than other fa-
nous stones; that it will be more rap
idly finished, and it has every chance
of remaining the largest and finest di-
amOnd of the whole world. ''To en-
ter into comparisons, he says, "the
Great Mogul, now in the Persian treas
ury, weighed in the rough 7S7 carats,
but through the incapacity of the We
netian workman, the stonelost in cut
ting 5O7 Carats. Shah Jehan, instead
of paying for the work, made the
workman pay him a fine of 10000
rupees, and would have taken more if
he had it. As it is, this stone is vet
the largest of all known, weighing now
$50 carats. The next in size is the
Orloff, forming the top of the imperial
Russian scepter, and weighs 195 ca
mats. This stone formed one eve
of a Brahmin idol, and was stolen by
a French soldier who fell in love with
the beautiful eyes of the Indian god
dess. Next in weight follows the Re
gent, one of the French crown dia-
monds. In its rough state it weighed
210 carats; it took two years to cut
it, and 2O,OOOf worth Of diamond
powder was used in its polishing. It's
present Weights 1865 carats. Next
we come to the Koh-i-nOr, the prop
erty OF Her Majesty, the Queen of
Great Britain. The stone was first
cut in Indie holding 1861 carats, but
it missed all the fire that such a
magnificent stone ought to possess.
Hence the queen had it recut in the
brilliant form by the eminent cutter
Voorzanger, especially ordered to Lon
don for the purpose. The cutting was
performed in a mastery manner, and,
though losing 8412 carats in working,
the stone was trebled in value. The
Star of the South has also been pol
iehed here in Amsterdam, at the mills
of the late Mr.. Coster. 1t IS in the
shape of an oval brilliant, and now
weighs 125 ZIG carats."
Straight Business.