The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-17
JEWELS OF ROYALTY
Fabulous Treasures That Are
Possessed by Orient
al MOnarcbS.

Large gems have always had a great
charm to the Orientals, who have al
way paid more for them than Euro"
peans. The Orient hides within her ieal"
ously guarded palaces many fine collec-
tions OF jewels. The Ni2am of Hydera-
tad owns the Victoria diamond. FOR
which he paid s., 900 600 The Maharajah
of raniore is like wise possessed OF a rich
store of gems, many of them rare ana
curious. The Maharajah of Baroda
paid 100000 for the 12j-carat Star OF
tho South, and also bought the 225-
carat pale yellow De Beers diamond
exhibited al the 1889 exposition.
According to the testimony of 5. g.
w. BENJAMIN, at one time United
states minister to Persia, the late Shah
had a very remarkable collection uf
gems. estimated to be worth between
$40 OOO. 600 and S15, 100000 but it is al
most impossible to get reliable infor-
nation about them. so closely are they
guarded. The same may be said of
the Sultan of Turkeys collection,
valued at over $4,000, 900.
When the English took possession OF
the palace of King Theebaw at Man
dalay, Burmah, they searched eagerly
for the fabulous treasures which it was
supposed this Oriental monarch pos
sessed. They were doomed to dis2p-
pointment. Nothing OF any special
value was found, the far-famed jewels
consisting of miscellaneous lot Of
moor emeraldS and rubics. Many or
them were of large size. but so inferior
in quality that the English regalia
could not be enriched by adding any
of them. So little are they valued that
they are now exhibited in glass cases
in the Indian Museum in London.
Many of these Oriental collections,
according to Sir Edwin Arnold and
other Oriental travellers, are kept i'll
isolated rooms Sometimes the gems
are wrapped in rags, or concealed IN
ginger lars. old boxes, and out-of-
the-waY places, 50 that even an lntl-
mate visitor may he guest for weeks
and only occasionally see a jewel, ana
only when he has the entire confidence
OF his host are the treasures shown
one at q time.
of all the costly wonders that the pal
ace Of the mogul emperors at Delhi
contained th1 most wonderful and the
most costly War the peacock throne.
This was constructed during the reign
of shah Jehan, and was the work OF
Frenchman. Austin, of Bordeaux. who
had sought refuge at tE" moSut@
court 1t was estimated that the value
of the throne was c6000,000 sterling.
1t stood in the center of the beautiful
hall of Private audience. and was nam
cd after the figures Of two pcacoCks
standing behind it, their tails being
expanded, ana the whole SO inlaid with
sapphires, rubiee omeralds. pearls and
other precious stones q. appropriate
Culors as to represent life. Tho throne
itself was six feet long by four feet
wide: i; stood ON six massive feet.
which. with the body. were of solid
gold inlaid with rubies. c!aeraldS and
diamonds. 1t was surmounted 10y a
canopy of gold supported by twelve
pillars, all richly emblaZoncd with cost
ly gems and a fringe of pearls orna-
mented the border Of the canopy. Be
tween the two peacoCks stood the figure
of a parrot of ordinary size said to
have been carved out oc single en-
erald. ON each side of the throne stood
an umbrella, one of the Oriental en-
hlams of royalty. They were formed
of crimson velvet thicklY emhroider-
ed and fringed with pearls, the ham
dies, eight feet high, Icing of gold.
studded with diamonds. II has been
held that the famous llohnCOr was one
Of the jewels that Oruamcntcd the
throne. and as this diamond, now in
the possession Of Victoria, was owned
by shah Jehan, the story may be true.
When Delhi was sacked ty the Per-
slams under Nadir Shaha in l-39 the
throne was plundcred of its jewels,
broken up and carried away. with $50,
000u0 of loot. \ block of white mar
Bile now marks the spot where it once
stood.
Catherine II and Peter the Great OF
Russia We're lovers OF precious stones,
Hnd collected fine examples Of the jCw-
cl-rs art which are preserved. together
with other precious relics in the krem-
lin i'm the Oure8ena Palata. at Moscow.
Here are thrones studded with dia- =
monds, rubics, turquoises pearls EN-
eralds aud sapphires: an orb contain
Ing a ruby Weighing 40 carats. auG
swords and scimitars thckly studded
with gems. The jewels proper, which
ARE inclosed in cases, include Workman
ship of Renal: sance Byzantine and
Persian handwOrk. all by master
hands. The wealth of gems used is
Df the largest size. shine in these re-
gala. Most wonderful of all is the
coronation crown of Catherine l. made
especially for her by order OF Peter
the Great. There are 2,3GS diamonds
IN this crown and over the brow is a
maeniicont ruby. Ia q separate case
AZ" placed the Jewels worn by the en-
press aud grand duChesses on state oc-
rhsions and among diamonds the gem
galore is very large pink diamond
which belonged 10 Peter the Great In
Ftate silver ana gold ware this colleC e
ion is unsurpassed, ana her monarchs
nave been purchasing continuously for
three centuries, and never selling their
possessions.
IN France Louis XIV. and Louis XIV
took particular interest in this subject
u was at the suggestion Of the former
mat Travernier the great traveller
oiaae his search for gems in so many
countries of the world, and unearthed
HE blue diamond"
In 1887 the French crown Jewels were
sold AT public auction by order of the
government, realizing some 1900. .OOl
francs. These jewels included all bu