Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-12-05
The History and Romance Connected
With Some of the Most Fa-
NOUS Jewels.
The Largest Diamond of the European
Crown Jewels i'll a Portuguese
Royal Family.
Interesting Accounts of the Cele-
brated Pit Diamond" and
Other Historic Gems.

WearerS, such as. the diamond. courage:
the sapphire, chastity. etc..-that was why
1t was so often set in episcopal rings.
The writer recollectS being told, some
years ago, by a servant at one of the prin-
cipal London clubs, that an Indian prince,
whose name Is well known to the reader.
never went into the CarG-room without
turning over in his pocket some diamond
which be carried loose, to give him good
luck.
Doubtless some have heard of the Lee
Penny, which Is really small red stone
set in silver, said TO have been brought
from the Holy Land by Lockhsrt of Lee
known in Scottish song as Sir Simon of
the Lee, who accompanied Douglas (the
good Lord James. of Douglas") when
carrying the heart of King Robert Bruce
to Jerusalem. Lockhart, so tradition says,
eNtorted it from a Paynim lady when she
was paying the stipulated ransom for her
husband whom Lockhart held us a pris-
oner. She dropped it ont of her purse,
and her eagerneSS to recover it showed
Iockhart how valuable it was He refuS-
ed, therefore, to release her husband unless
she gave the Lee Penny us q part of the
ransom. 1t was long esteemed a sovereign
remedy for ali sorts of diseaseS-even
water 1t had been dipped in was supposed
to have cured animals of their illness when
given them to drink. 1t Is related by
Charles kirkpatrick Sharpe to have lin
recent times cured lady of condition of
hydrophObia.
The largest diamond, if it Is a diamond,
among the crown jewels OF European
princes, belongs TO the Portuguese royal
family; but some authorities say it is not a
diamond at all. only white topaz: and is
pOsSeSSoTs have refused to allow it to be
examined by experts. it is impossible to
say whether it is a diamond or not.
The ''Orlotf is the largest certain dia-
mond among European crown jewels, and
the Regent" diamond is the second
largest. The Regent was from the be-
ginning little larger than the "koh-i
moor" for the Mountain of Light. orig
maily an enormous stone, was fearfully
cut down in HindOstar and III more re-
cent years has been enormously reduced 10y
the Amsterdam cutterS-now. as we ha We
previously mentioned the 'Koh-i-noor"
appears to have been cut into three stones
aud turned into Il brooch for the queen
The Regent was originally known as
the "PitC Diamond 1t was first brought
20 Europe by Governor Pitt. He had Il
great taste for the knowledge of precious
stones; d native dealer named Jourcund
used regularly to visit him, and tempt him
with very large diamond ("about 305
mangeiiins' in weight) The native. so it
is said used to keep it wrapped up in
bit of dirty wool, draw it forth and dazzle
the governor; wanting at first 200, 900 pa
gOdas' for it. But crafty old Pitt kept
qaiet and hided his time. At length it
cIme; the merchant one day was hard up
and offered il cheap. After some haggling
Pitt bought it for $4,000 "pagodas"
{ t2O, 400, at s. 81 a 'pagoGa'). Pitt
brought his purchase to England, and, Its
fame was soon nOised abroad throughout
Europe. A private person bid tSOOOO for
it, and the dissolute Duke of Orleans. then
Regent of France. offered El35. 600 Sir
Bernard Burke says 1t was eventually sold
in III. to the crown of France for the
sum of 600. GEO. But France, at this
time, was nearly bankrupt, so d number
of the French crown jewels had to be left
in Pitt hands, and four times Year the
French government met him at Calais
with an inStallment. until the debt was
cleared of and the crown Jewels restored.
The Pitt Diamond was called the Re
gencv Diamond the Regent. the Duke
Of Orleans, used to wear it as a button to
his hat on great occasions. Since then
tta ..Parnnf'' has always ramained in
Er,,ao Na,,olaor hoa i ,nt in bio
-,,,,,rI Iii. I'M - f,,,rI ;-s ,,,,,- Iocly 70
+,o pn,rGor, ,rLo or;,rjn.,Ii,, ,,7rrbasoJ
-. f.o,,, t-o,,, - Na,ols,,, II and ,,r,ir
:, i ba ,ro.l,+ ro,,,ic IN t,o revoln1;o,
ICtt = ~, a.. oo1- -, Az, or .5,
C,i i' - ID w. 800 ,bo ...cl, IS +io
1 ',;' Inf :; wa, owen mn at I.y4
,,o. ,,,a ;ia, ,r,,t j. 80 ,,-,,si,fJa +hon,li,
= ,,,;I,I,t b.vo heo,, l,ro,.a M AND soIG for
c10n 200 ~, .,,.a,t,. -, -. ,o,,rrL
800 ,.,2,,, i,-o,, - h., Z, l,,o,.,,o. p =
,..a;,,,.t 40 c..r.s n cost r.. A0o 70 emf II
- 49, .oi, r,r ~ 0I0 a,d ~
....,,t ..-.. $500 -, - '.,4s l. :.
t.,,--.', c.7o n50 (, E...,,.,.,I
p.-,..a Iii ~, 49,, ,.c,.a.,,n,. D.. G:o5 =,
iS5f al zoe T.,,,.;aa IN Ri,ororG <,
~ C,r-,el, Dor.a.s,;ra H:s aI5a.+
-a, p,I,or+ of Pa,,oc-- n p zy.s fat nov
&c r.'o,,,as D.; of P1caa,,,oc-- and of
VIZ: o. -, ,,,,. an ~ C,.,,,,,
,rI, .,.I'-,i b 80, .nr o.,
~. 80 Cl,,a,r,,. 10 ,,-ss l,;'iaj
:, AL Ir;+I NJ, Pet ON Mach 7 1904
aLr,,t worthless woman named Mrs
Si,,,,,oos
THO .,0rIoF '+hn Iarrast of the Frro-
,,,.,,, -, l1;a,,,o,,ds : cot u, +ba i,7rar-
- T.--:- - 1,,o, mo-. ,L,o o,-,
l9' ~, - 49,, ,,,5- T;c,i,,a-,oi;
81 a'l L'',! IN q len, 1,o 90.
oul d. Sl''.H ~ D q -, nav, ,,,
GdPe5 M l. r D. t" 49,. - sor; no d;a
oeIe9 "goIo sIs;', ';t,soIf o,-orILoTo
i ilonui puI L;.S,Ii s,,-D;o;o, oDd boor;o
.Gotru upoIe ~ ~ +,oF- ,ad -ascaad pars;5
eiidu new u w - toa - co. 90 no0
from lnoid, 1t SGo ~ ~ "a o,J 80
IN t1e interim M 80 l,,,, La
Ite 'IdHloilu 9iiI - , orlo, -
klngd9m, ana lie DIT oliEe 9"sJ5 VI uels $50, 10
take !he tlgL III. f..d Io,,, +boro
the diamond no ne - i,,,
I9re' SoLu le S SUI ~ Gov 10 Of fI2
cnaht' nalso ou"I a. ,u t,ot he car+Id
VoO. me ~ i:'l' f m d:n,,,o,,d So
get gooo price TOT t"S G.I1loiIu lI',t,l
catherine tEe Ured' II rs CooIG o"' set ~
Russia. 1t was 100 i"Egf lot II Isiui 7" NTe'-
low so he cut noe IN lLle "a, u a., rs 49,
with silver thrsa". w Heh Iii0 Jun l
Wa9 .'tdieu' ~ .l, p,~sia,, a,,41o-.
NJ uiu NJ ~ ~ tho d;an,,nd bsd
Itie9 nay iouI ~. II r,aL,r,a, 70 tbe Tau
Ia p" e., b;r, - an Armenian 50 he did
not conceal his nationality. He was seiz-
cd nurc,ad with ametics. stripped naked
and thrust INTO hot bath. but they got
no diamond from him, and at length bav-