Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-14
A. FIVE MILLION DOLLAR GEM.
Diamond ON Sale In London Too
Large for Any but An In
dian Prince.

w. f. Curtis to the Chicago Record:
The largest diamond that was ever found
is Eow offered for sale in London for
5000, 600. 1t is known as the Jager-Fon-
tein diamond. and Is bigger thai the Re
gent, the Imperial, the Kohinoor and the
Orlef put together. weighing 81 carats
ana being. as. big as an ordinary potato.
shaped like an icicle. three inches long.
two and one-half inches thick at the thick
est pace and tapers down to a point. 1t
was found last year at the mine of jaeger
Fontein in the Orange Free State by a
negro truck driver the morning before. the
nine was delivered to a syndicate to which
in the earth while he was waiting for a
load, placed his foot upon it until he was
able to pick 1t up without observation and
then. as soon as he could leave work.
carried 1t to the house OF the manager
Of the mine and placed 1t in his hands.
me latter at once saw 1t was a stone OF
great value. n cautioned the truckman
to preserve silence, as the mine had been
scld, and 1t might be claimed by the pur-
cfasers, who were not. however. in pos
session of the property. AS a reward for
was presented with the finest horse and
saddle that could be procured and $50 700 in
cash: But 1t is said that his good fortune
dissipation and has not done a days labor
since. The diamond was taken to London
by the manager and delivered to his prin-
ItFaais,. ny WHoIn ne was suitably rewarded.
II Is too large for an ornament and too
valuable for an ordinary citizen. to pur-
chase. 1t Is held by the syndicate with
the expectation that some Indian prince
will buy 1t for his crown. Until the lager
tontein was found the most valuable gem
IN existence was the Imperial. which is
krown as the diamond without a history,
for 1t mysteriously appeared at the French
exposition of 1889 and none but its original
owners knew where 1t came from or when
II was found. 1t is supposed to have been
EmlNc OIa NM NJ avn ~F h~ S~, IL
mines and kept in concealment for several
years. Through Mr.. Jacobs, tho famous
diamond broker Of Calcutta. who was the
original OF Marion Crawford's novel, "Mr.
Isaacs"" 1t was sold to the nizam Of Hy-
g. 900. One-half the sum was paid in ad.
vance in Paris and the remainder was to be
paid upon Its safe delivery in India, but
when the nizam learned that 1t had been
offered for a much smaller sum he refused
to Gerry out the contract and brought suit
h British officials also interfered on
the ground that the prince was not able
10 indulge In so expensive an nam
After long delay the suit was compro-
enee" It vas claimed that Jacobs paid
only N.0Oo: 600 for the gem. and that the
other million was to be his commission.
The Jfffanys offered three-fourths Of a mil
lior dollars for the diamond before It was
sold to Jacobs.
Tho Kohinoor. which belongs to the
British crown n Is worn in q brooch by
Queen Victoria. weighs only 122 carats:
the regent, which belongs to the govern
ment OF France and Is on exhibition in
the Louvre, weighs 1877 carats. and the
the Great by Count Orion, weighs 1ss car
ats, and Is In the crown of the Russian
car. The Imperial weighs $50 carats.