Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-24
yate apartments, and are never exhibited
to the most favored guest or visitor
The Finest Crown of Europe.

yate apartments, and are never exhibited
to the most favored guest or visitor.
The Finest Crown of Europe.
The finest crown of Europe is that worn
| by the Gar of Russia. 1t is surmounted
| by cross formed of live magnificent dia-
| monds, resting upon an immense ruby.
| The ruby rests upon eleven large diamonds,
which, In turn, are supported by a mat
| of pearls The coronet of the empress is
! said to contain the most beautiful mass
of diamonds ever collected in one band
me diamond in the extremity of the Rus
sian imperial scepter, known as the Or
| loft, weighs 1874 "a karats and cost $50 900
roubles. 1t came from the old mines of
India, and once formed one of the eyes of
the celebrated statue of Sherigan in the
temple of Brahma. Its wonderful history
would alone fill a volume.
The traditional diamond of the east is the
Great MOgul. The original weight was 1S7
karats, and it disappeared in the last Tar
tar invasion, when treasures to the amount
of 3JO,OOOOOO were captured by Nadir Shah.
The Shah of Persia has in his treasure
room jewels valued at Si0OOo,00O. His crown
contains mass of diamonds surmounted
by ruby as big as a hens egg. His royal
pelt weighs twenty pounds, and is a solid
mass OF diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
| When the shah was in Europe he wore a
variety of diamonds and gems, the smallest
Of which would have been a fortune to the
lucky possessor. The buttons of his coat
diamond larger than the kohinoor
Some Expensive Luxuries.
The list of expensive luXurles in various
parts of civilized Europe and America If
grouped together in one catalogue would
prove interesting for the curious to inspect.
Mr.. Marquand of New York has the cost
lest piano of the world. Steinway made
| the works and the case, painted by Alma
Tadema, was done in London, the whole
costing $4,000. He also owns the finest
billiard table of the world, valued at $4,000.
Mr.. Mackey mas the finest dinner service
of the world and furnished the silver from
his mines to the amount of $4,000. After
Tiffanys best artists got through with it.
Mr.. Mackey was called on to furnish a
check for $4,000.
The finest string of pearls in this coun-
try belongs to Mrs. Louis Hammersly. Mrs.
w. II. Vanderbilt wears a solitaire diamond
ring which cost $4,000, and Mrs. Hicks
Lord has a diamond necklace valued at
$3.50 600.
The most expensive picture in this coun-
try is Meissonier's 1897" which hangs in
the Metropolitan Museum, presented by
Henry Hilton, who paid $66,O0 for 1t. 1t
has been estimated that this sum would
more than cover the entire canvas with
$50 gold pieces. The most expensive book
of it's size in New York is the 1909 edition
of ShakeSpeare'S Sonnets, of which but two
copies exist. one in the British Museum
and the other owned by the publishers,
Dodd & Mead. They paid 5000 for 1t,
which in weight is about SiSo an ounce.
In the LennoX library is perfect copy OF
the Mazarine Gutenberg Bible, the first
book printed with movable types. 1t is
worth $4,000, and nothing better has been
done since. The most costly book in the
world is declared to be a Hebrew Bible, now
In the Vatican. In the year 1ol2 1t Is said
Pope Jules refused to sell it for its weight
i'm gold. which would amount to $l03,OoO.
Mr.. Irwin of Oswego, n. T., has an Illus
u 10 fAy III tab no no
The Shah of Persia smokes pipe valued
at $780, 600 and the late w. H. Vanderbilt
owned whip that cost over S2,oOo. Inc
design was made by Fritz Kaldenberg. the
SCULPTOR. The whip and ivory stock. before
any carving was done, cost $500 The braid
ing of the whip and the manufacture of the
snapper occupied one entire month
The costliest toy on record was broken
nosed wooden horse, which belonged TO
Napoleon Bonaparte and was sold for 1.0G0
francs. The largest price ever paid for
George ". made of ebony. with a gold top
containing the hair of the Princesses Au-
gusta. Elizabeth, Mary. Sophia and Amelia,
and inscribed. The gift Of the Princess
Mary, 1914" The most expensive cigars
in the world are made for the Prince of
Wales in Havana. and cost sl.s7 apiece.
Some Costly BanquctS.
There are some costly banquets recorded
in the WORLDS history, and one supper given
by Aelius Verus, footed up nearly a quarter
OF a million dollars. one dish at the table of
the Emperor Heliagabulus cost s2nO,Op.
Cleopatra's banquet to Antony was a sump-
tuous affair, and the queen took a pearl ear
drop worth $4,000, dissolved it in strong
acid. drinking the health of the triumvir.
saying, my draught to Antony shall ex-
coed in value the whole banquet" When
Queen Elizabeth visited the exchange in
London, Sir Thomas Gresham pledged her
health in cup of wine containing a pre-
cious stone crushed to atoms, worth $4,000
IN 1877 the Empress of Brazil presented to
Queen Victoria a dress made from sp.ders'
weoS. The web was made by the huze vel
low spiders of Brazil, the fiber being large
of bright orange color, silky and POSSESS
Ing an exquisite luster. Its value or cost of
manufacture is unknown. but it ranks IS
one of the curiosities of the world
me greatest sum ever paid for telegroch
Tolls In one week by q newspaper was in
CURED by the London Times during the
revolution in the Argentine Republic. and
the sum paid was 10000, or at the rate of
I.,5 per word. va
NO nation in the world expends so much
IN DECORATIONS in connection with ha,uuets
ana balls as the Americans and the figures
necessary 10 secure flowers alone 10 add =,
tne maSnihcence and success of a single
hishts entertainment would secure fo0I
[alnleni ana fuel to twenty ordinary families
"'ei season. IL. ID. S.