Daily camera., 1897-10-07
TWIN DIAMONDS.
Reunion Of Famous Gems In This
Country.
Once the Property of the Governor
General of India-Travels of
the Separated
Stones.

Diamond dealers the world over are
specializing as to the identity of mys-
terious parsonage of unlimited means
who has just purchased of a Parisian
diamond dealer two of the most IA
nous gems in existence, a pair of dia-
monds so nearly alike in appearance
that they have become known to col
lectors and dealers as the Indian
Twins" The wealthy individual who
has just become possessed Of them is
believed to be Mrs. William Astor.
A jeweler would describe the twins"
as a pair Of Indian diamonds, cut in
cushion shape, weighing SA carats
each, and of a remarkable pale blue
color. Their tint is far deeper than
steel blue, and much lighter than the.
blue of the celebrated Hope" diamond
The twins are so full of fire that many
pure white diamond is pale by COM
parison-
So absolutely perfect are the gems
that the slightest flaw cannot be dis
covered by the aid of the most pow
erful magnifying glass Their COM
bined weight is II carats, which is di-
vided exactly between the two They
are alike beautifully proportioned, and
the peculiar shade of blue is precisely
the same in each.
SO perfect is the correspondence that
experts do not doubt that they were
originally one stone, which was di-
vlded for some reason, probably be-
cause the original shape was such that
Will susceptible of division, it could
not be cut to advantage as a single
stone without great loss in weight.
The first record of the Indian
Twins" places them in the possession
of Warren Hastings at the time he was
governor-general Of India. Next they
came into the possession of a Russian
gentleman, who was afterwards eXiled
AS expatriated noblemen have to eat
and drink like ordinary mortals, the
Russian found himself under the pain
full necessity of parting with his dia-
monds.
They parted from each other, and
for a long time only one of the gems
hJiO" IL " dIdlloLu utdltIS. lWS
lone twin, after many wanderings, fell
at last into the possession of the duke
of Brunswick, whose agents searched
the world for the lost twin, but were
unable to find any trace of it, although
the price offered for its recovery was
a tremendous one.
Finally the duke was gathered to his
fathers, and his fine collection of dia-
monds was sold, the Indian Twin
coming to America. The final chapter
Of the story is told by E. August
Neresheimer, of New York city, vice
president of the Theosophical society
of America
81 had the diamond in my possession"
said Mr.. Nereisheimer, land my agents
were looking for it's missing relative.
although we had little hope of finding
it. This was about 90 years ago.
"One OF the agents who had been for
so long engaged in the search for the
Twin that it had become a mechanical
habit for him to study jewelry on men
and. women whom he met, was sur
prsed almost out of his wits one day
when, seated in Chicago saloon, he
saw a western man enter in whose shirt
bazed the identical Twin the where
abouts of which had been for so long
sought.
"The united Twins were valued at
S125,OOO, and taken to Paris, where, l
hear they have been purchased by an
American whose identity has been kept
a secret"-N. Y. Herald