The times., 1901-06-23
MODELS OF FAMOUS GEMS
Striking COunterfeits of Precious
Stones on Display.

Except in Material, Precisely Similar
to the Most Marvellous Jewels In
Existence A Reproduction of
the Wonderful orIoR Treasure.
There. has been what promises to be
popular and interesting addition to the
hall of minerals in the National Museum
in the shape of a set of glass models of
the celebrated diamonds of the world.
The models are exactly similar to the
originals in every respect but that of
materal-a material difference. it must
be confessed.
The largest existing diamond in the
world, represented in the collection, is
the Orloff. in the sceptre of the Emperor
of Russia weighing 19424 carats. and cut
In the rose form, with a fiat face below,
resembling the half of a pigeons egg
According to one story Informed the eye
of an Indian idol and was stolen by a
French deserter; another is that 1t be-
longed 10 Nadir. Shah of Persia, and, fol-
lowing his murder, came tito the hands
of an Armenian merchant, who brought
it to Amsterdam In 1772 it was sold TO
Count Orloff for the Empress Catherine
for $4,000 silver roubles ($45O, COO. with an
Russian nobility Second in size is the
Regent. or Pitt diamond, bought by Mr..
Pitt, the Governor OF Madras, in 1902 for
about s10O, 600. He brought it to London,
had it cut as brilliant at. it is said. a
cost of $4,000, and sold it in III to the
regent Duke of Orleans for Louis XIV,
for 2.5OO.0O0 francs. or s650,OO0; but it is
estimated to be worth twice that sum.
At the lime OF the first French revoIu-
ton it was sent to Berlin, but reappeared
in the hilt of the sword of state worn by
Napoleon I. 1t is considered as the
finest and most perfect brilliant in
Europe. 1t weighs 1864 carats, but
originally weighed 40 carats, and the
fragments split or sawn from it, when
cut. were valued at many thousands of
dollars
The third in weight is the Florentine
or Grand Duke, as 1t is named. 1t is Of
fine yellow color, oblong, and cut in
rose. 1t is said to have been lost by
Charles, The Bold. at the battle of Gran
son. and found by a Swiss soldier. who
sold it for a few pennies, as
piece of rock crystal 1t afterward be-
longed to the Grand Duke of Tuscany,
from whom it passed to the Emperor of
Austria It's weight is usually given at
| 1924 carats. but Schrauf finds it's exact
weight 1876 Vienna carats.
The famous Koh-i-noor is represented
by two models, illustrating it's condition
before and after it's last cutting. The
Indian legend tells that this famous stone
was found in one of the Golconda mines
near the Kishna River, and was worn
5000 years ago by Karna. one of the
heroes celebrated in the poem of the
nh fF1rOT1ph
hands to Baber. the founder of the Mo
gul dynasty. in 1926. and was shown by
| his successor in 1865 to Tavcrnier. the
French traveller He des RIDES it then as
of the shape of a half egg. and weighing
| 2S0 carats, having been thus reduced by
an unskilled stone-cutter from 1885
carats, which it once weighed. In 1873
it passed to Nadir Shah the Persian in
vader of India, who bestowed on 1t the
name of Koh-i-noor, or Mountain OF
Light. and from his successors in 1913
| to Runjeet Sing, the ruler of Lahore. In
1919, on the annexation of the Punjab to
| British India, the Koh-i-noor was also
surrendered and presented to Queen Vic
| toria in June, 1850. II was exhibited at
the great exhibition OF 1851, and weighed
| then 1S6 lie carats, but has since been
recut, with doubtful advantage, in the
rose form, and is now 106 1-16 carats. Its
| lower side is fat and corresponds un-
| doubtedly TO a cleavage plan. Hence. il
has bee.g conjectured that it and the Rus
| sian Or'off are portions of the original
stone belonging to the Great Mogul, while
a stone of 132 carats, obtained by Abbas
Mira. at the storming of Corcha. in Kho-
rassan, in 1892, may be a third fragment
| This portion was long used by a peasant
as flint for striking fire. The entire stone
| Is represented by separate model of the
| Great Mogul, nearly the size of hens
egg.
Other diamonds represented are the
| Sancy. now in the Russian crown jewels
| it is 531A carats, was once the property OF
Charles the Bold, like the Austrian, anc
afterward of Louis XIV of France. Il
| was sold in 1880 for Sf00. 900 to the EN-
| peror of Russia. There is a model of the
| Shah diamond of Sc carats in the Russian
treasury and the Polar Star, of 40 carats
in possession of the same. There are als(
| to be seen facsimiles of the Nassac o
S92. carats now recut, and 7S4s), the Pig
| got of S2K, and the Pasha of Egypt of A
| carats, which cost $140 600. An exact re
| production of the famous Hope diamond
| of a dark blue color and high brilliancy
is also seen. This unique diamond. though
| only weighing 441acarats. is valued a
s125 900 on account of its extraordinary
|