The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-05

| The Rajah of Matan diamond wan found
| at Landak, on the western coast Of Bor-
| neo, during the last century. 1t is egg
| shaped. of the purest water. and weighs
| $50 carats. Cutting would probably re-
| duce IL below the Orloff. AS its true char
| acter has never been fully established its
| large size awakens suspicion of its gen.
uineness. but since its present owner is
] the Rajah of Matun, there is little proba-
! bilty that it will ever be proved beyond
| a doubt 1t has remained in the ruling
| family during four generations, and is re-
| Carded as a kind of tutelary deity. with
! miraculous healing powers. The putch
! Government negotiated for its purchase.
! offering the Ra jah two gunboatS, with All
! their stores and equipments. and $780, 900
/ in money, nut the owner could not be IN
/ duced to part with it on any terms from
{ the belief that the pefpetuity ana success
Of his line depended upon his retaining
| possession of this gem. II is said to have
| been the cause of a destructive war dur
/ ing some period OF its history.
THE GREAT ORLoFF DIAMOND.
! The Orloff diamond is a most celebrat-
ed gem. 1t has it's tales of romance, in
trigue. and crime. its remarkable history
and complicating biographers; which place
| it alongside OF the Koh-i-noor for the dra-
matte, while for its size and beauty it
! holds first rank among European dia-
monds- The history of the Orion has so
many different versions that II is extreme
/ ly difficult, if not impossible to decide
| which is authentic. especially as its career
has frequently been merged in that of the
Great Mogul and also in Persian dia-
mond called the Moon of the Noun
tains" There is no doubt that it is an
Indian gem, that it found its way TO Hol-
land. thence to Russia, where it was
placed in the imperial sceptre ana is CON
sidered the most remarkable diamond IN
the Russian regalia, and one of the most
famous in Europe; but in relation TO It's
romantic history before it became the
tta., dc Ill
verge. Ii was purchased at Amsterdam by
Prince Orloff, whose name il bears, for
Catherine ii. according to one historian,
but, according to others it has a more de-
vious and adventurous career, having
once constituted one of the eyes of a IA
nous Indian idol, from which it was plum
dered by French deserter and sold to
an English sea captain. 1t is alleged that
from the latter 1t passed to London
Jew, then to "A Greek who offered it for
sale to the Empress of Russia, but Cath
erlne declining to purchase the diamond.
II was bought by Prince Orloff for Si50, 900,
and a life annuity worth $4,000. and pre-
scented as gift to his sovereign.
Another conjecture about its early his
tory is that it formed one of the trophies
brought away from Delhi by Nadir Shah,
but was lost sight of for time during
the fierce struggles which ensued on the
death of Nadir- 1t was recovered and sold
to an Armenian by one of the Afghan
generals, and through the Armenian it
reached the Russian treasury. Its course
ton. theft. and murder. 1t is said the
original name given by the Persians was
Koh-l-Tur, which has been translated
Mount Sinai, and that, with the Koh-
i-noor, il constituted the eyes of the bird
in the famous Peacock Throne.
The Oriuff is about the size of a pig
con : egg. of n yellowsh tint, with a
weight Of 1898 earats.
THE AUSTRIAN YELLOW DIAMOND.
The Austrian yellow diamond is also
called the Grand Duke of Tascany's'
and "Florentine Brilliant" The identity
and history of this precious stone has
been the foundation of much controversy,
which has not been settled to the salts
faction of all. Ii has its tale OF Woe. II,
as is sometimes said, it once belonged TO
Charles the Bold, and was lost, together
with his other Jewels. on the disastrous
field of Grandson. 1t was found by
Swiss soldier, who. after the conflict, ig-
norant of it's real value, sold it to priest
for a form. and from him it passed to
a Genoese merchant, who disposed of it
to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Subse-
quentIy the Jewel came into the posses
sion of Pope Julius H. one of the Medici
family. and by him was presented to the
Austrian Crown in the reign OF Maria
Theresa. The Austrian is of decided
yellow tint and ranks next to the Orion
for large cut diamonds found In Europe
Ii is a double rose, faceted all over, ana
weighs 1891 carats. Different estimates
THE GREAT skNCy.
The great Sancy diamond has been very
appropriately called the sphinx among
diamonds Its history is involved in be-
wildering contradictions. which it is i'm
possible to unravel with only the glim-
mering light which illumines its record.
1t appears and disappears in the most
mysterious manner for period of four
centuries and has been the subject of
more conflicting statements than any 9TH
err or perhaps all other diamonds known
to literature or science. There Is no way
of reconciling these contradictions but by
admitting there was more than one dia-
mond called Sancy. Tradition credits this
gem to Charles the Bold, its first Euro
pean owner, which. with the Austrian
yellow, was lost on the day of his memoir
able defeat.
The diamond was named after the Bar
on de Sancy at one time Ambassador Of
Henry Nv of France to the Court of
Queen Elizabeth. The Baron de Sancy. 1t
is said. was the owner of two large dia-
monds, one OF which was the great Saucy.
Various other accounts are given of the
history Of this stone. but all are conflict
ing and nothing definite Is known, except
that il exists. The weight Of this gem is
hfty-four carats, Indian cut. 1t is now
owned in India.
....a THE PITT OR REGENT.
The Pitt or Regent diamond, before cut
size, weighing 40 carats. 1t was found In
the Indian mines at Puteal, in 1701, by a
slave, who concealed the discovery, and
fled with it TO the coast, but only to meet
a tragic end After being decoyed on
board an English vessel he was robbed
and thrown overheard. The captain who
committed the double crime sold the dia-
mond Tor the paltry sum of 5000, spent
his dishonest gains in dissipation and
closed his career by hanging himself. 1t
was subsequently bought by Thomas
Pitt, Governor of Fort George, Madras
and grandfather Of the celebrated VIII
liam Pitt. for "A sum variously estimated
from $4,000 to $55, CO.
. The diamond WAS cut i'm London by
hand as brilliant, weighing 1870 ca
rats as Yariously estimated, al 81 cost of
S2o,OOIvr1. The value of the fragments
have been estimated from seventeen to
forty thousand dollars. AS the diamond
II was sold TO the Regent of France in
lfll, whence the name Regent, for S675 900
This was considered much below its real
value. 1t was subsequently valued at 81
10000.
IN The robbery of the Garde MeubIe. the
Regent was stolen, but recovered by a
communication from one Of the party of
thieves revealing the spot where it was
concealed. The reason given for it's sur
render WAS that the ge:n was so well
known that il would not be safe to offer IL
for sale.
The Regent it has been said, laid the
foundation of Napoleon's career since by
pledging II to the Dutch Government he
tary operations and for the establishment
of his power. IL was subsequently re-
deemed. and after he became Emperor
adorned his sword of state. II is a re-
this diamond that it should have been
connected with the fortunes of two emf