Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-06
DIAMONDS.
DESPITE NEW SOURCES OF SUP
PLY THEY ARE STILL DEAR.


The Earliest Mines Known-The
Most Valuable Stones in Exist
ence.
Diamonds are considerably cheaper now
since the discovery of the South African
fields few years ago, but they are by no
means common as yet, despite the fact
that they are used almost exclusively for
ornament. The African fields have added
large quantity to the worlds supply,
but evidently the increase of the number
of well-to-do people is quite rapid
enough to absorb the additions without
sending down the price to any appreciable
extent.
The origin of the diamond is still yelled
In mystery. Newton supposed that Ii
was an ''unctuous substance coagulated. y
Jamison conjectured it to be a secretion
from some ancient tree like amber.
Others have insisted on its formation
from some vegetable substance; Others
again give it a mineral origin, but no one
has been able to settle the question, and
it remains one of the deep mysteries OF
natures works.
The oldest, and for long time the
most celebrated diamond mines were
those of India, those of Golconda having
the earliest and greatest name. Golcon-
da, however, was not the name of the
mines, but of fortress near which the
diamonds were found. 1t was in these
mines that the celebrated Koh-i-noor was
first discovered. The Indian legend says
that it was found and worn 5000 years
ago by Karna, one of the Indian heroes.
1t passed through many hands until it
came to Baber, the founder of the Mogul
dynasty, in 1896 1t was shown by one
of his successors to Tavernier, French
traveller, in 1865. He describes it then
as the shape of half egg, and weighing
$50 caratsy having originally weighed
79Ss carats, but having been reduced to
the smaller size by unskillful cutting.
In 1888 it passed to Nadir Shah, the
Persian invader of India, who gave it the
name of Koh-i-noor, or mountain of
light, and from his successors it passed
in 1879 to Runjeet Singh, the ruler of
Lahore.
In 1849, when the Punjab was annex
ed to British India, the Koh-i-noor was
part of the booty, and was sent as pres
ent to Queen Victoria. 1t then weighed
1856 carats, but has since been recut in a
rose form, and now weighs only 100 car
ats. 1t is very doubtful whether the last
cutting was Of any advantage to the stone.
Its lower side was fiat, and no doubt rep
resents the plane from which some other
stone has been split away. 1t is probable
\ that the other portion was either another
great diamond or else it has been lost. 1t
is coniectured that the 0rlof stone,
which was also once in the possession of
the great mogul, was another portion,
and also that stone of 1872 carats, OBJ
tanned by Abbas Mira at the storming of
Coosa, in Khorassa, in 1882, was an
other.
This last stone was for a long time US
ed by a peasant as u flint for striking fire.
The three united would have brought the
stone up to the original size given by
Tavernicr, and would thus make it the
largest stone ever known, but the combi-
nation is only matter of conjecture and
with very little possibility of having oc-
CURED. The Orloff diamond, mentioned
above, is the largest undoubted cut dia-
mond in the world. 1t weighs 1876 car
ats, and is set as the chief ornament in
the sceptre of the Emperor of Russia.
Like the Koh-i-noor it has fiat face be-
low and in shape it resembles the half Of
small egg.
1t came from India, and there is legend
that it once formed the blazing eye Of an
Indian idol. 1t is said to have been stolen
from the image by French deserter, who
brought it to Europe. Another story is
that it belonged to Nadir Shah, the Per-
sian conqueror. After his murder it fell
into the hands of an Armenian merchant,
who brought it to Amsterdam. In 1772
it was sold to Count Orloff, acting as
agent for the Empress Catherine, for
450, 900 rubles, ruble being very nearly
the value Of dollar. Besides the gross
sum there was an annuity of 1900 rubles
and a title of nobility.
The next diamond in size is the cele-
brated diamond generally known as the
Regent or Pitt diamond, whose history is
almost romance in itself. Thomas Pitt,
an English adventurer with some means
in hand, had started out to make his for
tune. Anything that promised a profit
was his delight, and he took fancy to
diamonds, because they were easy to carry,
and the profit was so large. Accordingly
he became quite diamond fancier, and
heard Of this monster It originally
weighed 410 carats, and was seen by Pitt
at Madras, who made model of it and
sent it to his partner, Sir Stephen Eyance,
stating that the stone had been offered to
him for about 100000 pagodas, equiva-
lent to about 100000. It was too big a
sum for Evance, who wrote back: sWee
are now gott in war;. The French king
has his hands and hearts full, soc he can't
buy such stone. There is no prince in
Europe can buy lit, soc wuld advise you
not to meddle with lit. '
When Pitt got this reply he was much
discouraged, and mad clear through; he
y offered Jaurchund, who had it, the in
4 significant sum of 80, 600 pagodas. This
broke off the trade, but after time
Jaurchund came back and offered it for
100, 900 pagodas After much haggling
Pitt beat him down to 55, 900 and then
offered 40, 600. Finally Pitt offered Az, !
800, but Jaurchund, who had the eastern
love for fixing the price, replied that he
had sworn not to take less than AZ, 600
pagodas, which Pitt gave him and took
the diamond. After various adventures
4 Pitt sold the diamond to the Duke Of Or
leans, who was at that time the Regent of
France, for the nominal sum Of e135, 900,