The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-30
BLUE DIAMOND GIFTS.
Julia Arthur to Get One of Them.
Famous Gems.
From the New York Herald.


American Christmas tree is current
gossip among jewellers is true. The
three largest above ground are now in
New York AMI sol 10 wea.ifv Ar,eri-
cans as ornaments for their holiday
displays of generosity.
Benjamin F. Cheney, of Boston, Is
the only known purchaser. He has
Just bought from j. Dreicer & Sons
the second largest jewel of this kind
known to the market. This will be his
Christmas gift to his wife, who was
known on the stage as Julia Arthur
Her collection of jewels is already IA
nous.
BY far the most famous jewel in the
lot is the Hope Diamond, recently pur-
chased in London by Joseph Frankels
Sons, of Nassau street, for, they say,
a wealthy New Yorker, as the central
figure of his family Christmas tree
Still third diamond of blue color is
said by Cattle, Stern & Co. to have
been purchased by them for another
New York customer, and to be nearly
as large as the Dreieer diamond. This
Is still in their possession, but is to be
delivered before Christmas.
Blue diamonds are almost as rare as
blue roses, and the history of those
of any size has been as full OF romance
as the lives of the crowned heads
which they have usually ornamented.
The total value of the three jewels
now in this city is estimated at $780,
900. The real selling price is refused by
the jewellers, as are all but the barest
details of the possessors of the gems.
Third stone n Mystery.
Much curiosity is excited by the an
nouncement of Cattle, Stern & Co. that
they have imported and sold a dia-
mond upon which they set a price of
more than 800, The diamond which
Mr.. Cheney has purchased is supposed
to be the Brunswick diamond, formerly
owned by the Duke of Brunswick.
This has always been believed to have
been cut from the Hope diamond.
Where third diamond of such value
could have come from is a mystery to
the general public. There was a second
piece cut from the Hope diamond, but
it was so small that it's value has been
estimated at only few thousand dol
lars.
If these three jewels should prove to
be all that is left of the great 112A
carat piece of blue fire which the great
jeweler Tavernier brought to Europe
in 1912, the most talked of diamond in
history is assembled. for the first time
in more than a7century, within one
country. They might be present in
one building should the three women
who are to possess the Jewels visit the
opera on the same evening.
Samuel Frankel bought the Hope
diamond in London for Lord Francis
Pelham Clinton Hope, husband of May
Yohe. The value he placed upon ii is
said to be $3.50, 900. 1t has been sold,
the firm announces. No details of the
purchase or of the price paid Will be
given out.
Mr. Dreicer refuses to give out any
information as to the jewel in his pos
session, except to admit that it has
been sold. He would not discuss it's
history, or size, but it's reported value
of $4,000 was not denied. He said a
pledge had been given to his customer
that no information would be given
out, and that the facts could not be
learned until after Jan. 1.
The history of the Hope diamond be-
gan in 1912 when 1t is first recorded
as the treasure of an Indian potentate,
in the days when enormous Jewels were
plentiful with such princes. 1t was a
rough stone then. weighing 112A carats.
Seller EnnobIed.
II remained there until Tavernier,
Of Paris, on one of his travels through
the East, saw and purchased it. He
brought it back to Paris as the center
of a collection of twenty-five diamonds,
which were bought by Louis XIV, for
$500, 900 francs In addition. Tavernier
received the title of Baron d'Aubonne.
To be fitted to the fashions of the
West much of the weight was sacri-
feed In the rough it was a fat, i'll
formed stone and after the cutting it
appeared as square, with triangular
port utaiohfn0 R21h aarafg
Louis XIV. wore it, suspended by a
heavy blue ribbon around his neck. 1t
was the chief among his collection of
Jewels, upon which value of 60,000,-
000f was placed.
In the days of the French revolution
the Blue diamond, with other jewels,
was seized and placed in the Garde
Meuble. From there 1t disappeared and
nothing more was heard of it for near
ly forty years, when Daniel Eliason APP
peared in London with blue diamond
Weighing 44A carats. which was of
the same size and lustre as the
major portion of the Tavernier stone.
Henry Thomas Hope, an English
banker, bought this gem. He is said
to have paid $4,000 for 1t. and the
modern part of the story began.
In 1874 the Duke of Brunswick bought
a blue diamond in Geneva. 1t weighed
large portion of the piece cut from the
Tavernier diamond after the revolu-
ton. The smaller part was once said
to have been owned by Edwin w.
Streeter.
What since 1880 has been known as
the Hope diamond remained in that
family until few weeks ago. 1t again
became famous as the principal asset
of the present Lord Francis Hope,
married to May Yohe, an American
comic opera singer. He endeavored to
realize upon 1t several times. but was
prevented by proceedings brought by
his older brother, the Duke OF New
castle, and his sister. Lady Beatrice
Lister Kaye, the jewel being entailed.
sold when wife Fled.
Since the separation Of Lord Hope
and his wife. which occurred in New
York last spring, and her departure for
Japan with Putnam Bradlee Strong,
the ban was removed and the Jewel
sold
Another report as TO the Drelcer
stone gives II weight OF 22k carats,
marquise shape. with 102 facets and
extraordinary brilliancy. II may be a
recently discovered gem which has not
yet attained fame.
Whatever they may be, these three
diamonds are announced as the largest
OF their kind in the world. The Drecier
diamond, while smaller. IS said TO be
more brilliant than the Hope. and the
Gattel jewel Is inferior only 10 these
two.
with their addition 70 Americas al
ready great wealth IN diamonds the
Jewels OF European crowns would seem
10 pale. Europe has left now only the
Victoria, or Imperial. formerly owned