The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15


From the New York Sun.
Most of the great diamonds OF the
world have about them an atmosphere of
romantic tradition. Objects Of such rar-
ity and value have attracted the avarice
and ambition Of eastern rulers through
! centuries, and it has been truly said that
almost every one of the great diamonds
now the pride of royal treasures, or Of
rare collections in Europe. has a history
full of strife. contest, rivalry and war
1t is not only their enormous money
value, and the pride Of possession which
have made them objects of the most VIC
lent contention. but also the superstition
investing them with all manner Of fancied
powers. which they are reputed TO con-
fer on their possessor About all the
great diamonds Of the east there hangs
| this cloud of mingled history and tradi-
ton, often hard to distinguish. and rem
I dering the real record almost unattaina-
Bile.
The celebrated traveller. Tavernier. Wis
| tied the east in 1910 and there saw and
described many most remarkable jewels
belonging to the famous Aurungzebe. then
on the throne of the AIogul empire at
Delhi. The subsequent history of these
| stones is obscure. In 1883 the Persian
| conquerer. Nadir Shah, overran much
of India, and carried back with him
booty and plumber estimated at seven
hundred millions of dollars among which
were many of these jewels. After his
death his treasures were dispersed, and
| il has been impossible to trace them. The
nnest crown of jewels in Europe are in
many cases a part of this scattered plum
der of the Orient.
The greatest diamond ever known until
! TWO years ago was one described by Ia
WERNER, known as the Great Mogul. Its
the Acknowledgement of a Venetian lapi-
Diary employed by Shah Jehan, from whom
his son Aurungzebe inherited il, the stone
had been reduced in cutting to $50 carats,
loss of nearly twO-thirds. For this
blunder, or worse, the lapidary was ined
his entire possessions and nearly lost his
head. Indian tradition reports it to have
been found on the banks of the kistna
river, IN Golconda, ages ago and TO have
been worn for 5000 years by Karna, one
Of the legendary heroes of the Mahab-
harata. This wonderful diamond has dis
appeared; il was probably taken to Per-
STA by Nadir Shah, and perhaps has been
broken the recut pieces forming some OF
the largest diamonds now known.
II the Russian Orloff and the English
koh-i-noor were put together base to base
they would approximate to the size and
form of Tavernier's Great Mogul. Each
has a fiat side, evidently determined by
fracture along cleavage plane. The Or
loft diamond weighs 1868 carats 1t is
cut as a rose, with a fat face below. and
! is about half the size of a pigeons egg.
This is known to have been brought to
Persia by Nadir Shah, and was subse-
quently bought by an Armenian mer-
chant by Prince Orlon for the Empress
| Catherine IL of Russia. The price was
$4,000 rubles, pension and title of no.
bility.
The English Koh-i-noor has the most
romantic and disputed history of any OF
the great diamonds. 1t belonged TO the
lately deceased Dhuleep Sing, maharajah
of Lahore, and was the greatest treasure
of his kingdom. When England took pos
session of the Pun1ab, in 1913, the ratah
was but child, and was partly pursuad :
/ ed and partly compelled to accept PEN
] sion from the queen and transfer to her
! the Koh-i-noor. Shortly before his death.
! in 1892, he visited England to recover the
diamond that he said, had been stolen
from him. 1t was exhibited as one Of the
great attractions at the Worlds Fair.
in the Crystal Palace at London, in 1851
1t was then the second largest diamond
IN IN Euirope-iIs6 earats-but, being some
what irregular, was recut as a brilliant,
and reduced to 1924 carats with a loss
of two-fifths, and but little gain in beauty
The name KOh-i-nOor or "mountain Of
| light" was first used by Nadir Shah, on
seeing the great mogul diamond
Another diamond of the same name the
Persian Koh-i-noor. is one of the greatest
| diamonds belonging to the Shah of Per-
STA, who wears them on his left hand and
right foot. These are irregularly cut, like
an indian gems, but their history and de-
I
Several other large diamonds were seen
and described by Tavernier in the course
OF ms indian travels, but they are not
definitely Identified now
The Regent, or Pitt diamond, weighing
1854 carats, was long the pride Of the
crown jewels of France, and until within
the past decade the finest large diamond
known. It was bought by the Duke of
Orleans, then Regent of France of pitt
governor of Fort George Its original
weight was 40 carats According To a
pamphlet which Pitt published, to clear
himself from the report of having stolen
the stone, he purchased it in Golconda of
a Hindoo merchant. POpe's famous lines.
Asleep and naked as the Indian Law
An honest factor stole the gem away,
ail9de to this story This diamond was
but was restored in a mysterious man,
ner. Its cutting, which occupied two
years, cost 1880. Napoleon wore it in
the Galerie d Apollon in the Louvre
with the two MaZarin diamonds not sold
at the French crown jewel sale.
one extraordinary diamond has been
yielded by the Borneo mines: this is the
NATHAN, of 3l7 carats. 1t was found In
1850 belongs TO the rajah of NATHAN,
Borneo. The Dutch governor of Batavia
offered for It two men-of-war fully equip
ped and $4,000 G250,OOO: but the raiah
replied that the fortunes of his family
depended upon it's retention
Among other notable or historic Cia-
monds may be mentioned the following:
The Shah, So carats, of peculiar oblong
FORM anu great purity. 1t is one of the
Russian crown Jewels, having been pre-
scented by the Shah of Persia to the Gar
Alexander l.
The Nassuck, 7s1k carats, is a triangular
stone with triangular facets. 1t was
among the spoils taken by the MARQUIS
of Hastings in the conquest of Deccan.
became the property of the East India
Company, and has passed by sale through
various hands to it's present owner. the
Duke of Westminster, who paid e.. 200
$50, 600 for it at auction.
A diamond of 1914 carats, belonging to a
Mr.. Dresden of London, is a Brazilian
stone, cut in drop shape, and of great
purity and fire.
The Sancy is a notable historic stone of
53ib carats. 1t first belonged to the Duke
of Burgundy, and was bought by the
King of Portugal in 1879, and later from
him by the Baron de Sancy, who sent ii
as a present to his sovereign, Henry III.
The servant who bore 1t was attacked
by robbers and swallowed the diamond,
which was found in his body after his
death Its next possessor was James III
of England, who sold il to Louis XIV for
$4,000 (S125, COO. 1t disappeared in the plum
dering of the Tuileries during the French
revolution, but after many peregrina-
lions was sold to Prince Paul Demidoff
The Eugene diamond is a beautiful bril-
liant of 81 carats purchased by Napoleon