Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04
DIAMONDS OF HISTORY
vALuABLE GEMS RECALLED By
RECENT DISCOVERY.
The Jubilee. Regent Of Portugal, Greet
Mogul, Koh-i-Nor and Other
Precious Jewels.

Written for The Evening Star
Public interest has recently been aroused
by the discovery of an enormous diamond
In one OF the mines--probably of the Pre-
nier Company--near Pretoria It's weight
Is placed at about 5000 carats, or in the
neighborhood of three pounds, and its value
Is estimated at from four to five million
dollars. In the absence of specific fnfor-
nation 1t Is not possible to define its char
acter conclusively, but an expert minerale-
gfst In Washington believes that 1t will
prove to be bort or a mass Of carbon
ado. This Is the black diamond, which
is used for drilling and cutting diamonds
and other hard substances. II the new
stone should prove to be true diamond
its value. judged by the hitherto largest
diamond known, the "Jagersfontein,e would
be not less than $64, OOO.OOO The "Jagers-
fontein" weighed 917 2-3 carats, and from
one-half of 1t the beautiful gem known as
the Jubilee diamond" weighing over 400
carats, was cut. The Jubilee is valued at
SS,00O.o00. but its weight is only about one
eighth of the newly discovered stone
Next In value to the Jubilee" comes the
Pitt" or Regent which was found. so
tradition says. in 1901 in the Partial dis
trict of India Its present weight is 1851
carats. and Its value is estimated at 81
100000. 1t Is one Of the few treasures re-
served by the French republic from the
SAFE VI Tic cfoWn Jewels.
Regent" Of Portugal.
The Regent of Portugal Is a magnifi-
cent gem. weighing 215 carats, and worth
nearly $2,00O,00O. The ''Orloff." the chief
ornament in the Russian imperial sceptre.
weighs 194A carats, and is worth about
81 $4,000. The celebrated "Koh-i-nor,"
supposed to have been found in one of the
Golconda mines. near the Kishna river in
India, Is another of the great gems. In
1850, after the annexation Of the Punjab TO
British India, during the previous year 1t
was presented to Queen Victoria. It now
weights only 1O6 1-16 carats. having been
cut and recut. Before the last cutting it
was valued at 100000
The Great Mogul' is another gem Of
considerable historical interest. It belong
ed to several Persian rulers, and is now be-
lieved to be among the treasures of the
Shah or Persia under the name of the Sea
of Light When discovered 1T weighed 1877
carats. and it's value has been placed as
high as $2,1O0,0O0.
Among the most brilliant South African
gems are the Stewart" which weighed In
the rough 2SS 3-8 carats; the Star of the
South and the Star of South Africa"
Other Important Stones.
Other important diamonds are the Ma
TAM" found in 1887 by Dyak in the Lam
OAK river near the coast Of Borneo. and the
about $1,000. 600.
Besides these gems of the FIRST water"
there are number of other beautiful dia-
monds, technically known as "colored
stones" The principal ones in this class
are the Hope Blue weighing Az carats
and valued at $125, 600. In 1892 it was
stolen from the Garde Meuble in Paris. and
did not turn up again until 1890 when a
merchant of Amsterda dam put on the mar
ket a stone which correspondent in color
and all other particulars excepting weight.
He sold it to Mr.. Henry Thomas Hope of
England. from whom it obtained it's pres
ent name IT is now owned in New York
city. The Dresden Green is another ia
nous one of these stones. weighing 4Sa
carats and valued at $4,000 1t is now
one of the treasures of the green vaults
of Dresden. There is also the Austrian
Yellow. weighing 1891 carats and worth
about 100000.
The largest cut diamonds in America are
the stern Yellow" an African stone
weighing 2OiA carats; the Tiffany Yellow"
weighing 12o carats. and the Prince Ed
ward of York, weighing COZ ca~ats This
last is regarded as one of the most per-
feet and brilliant stones ever brought to
America.