The Washington times., 1905-01-28
BIGGEST DIAMOND
EVER DISCOVERED
Weighs 5000 Carats;; Found
at johannesburg.
IS LARGE AS TWO TEAcUPs
Premier Mine and It's stock-Some
Famous Stones Cut in Past
Years
IS LARGE AS TWO TEAcUPs

largest diamond ever found has been
dug cut Of the Premier mine here. It
weighs over 5000 carats
NEW YORK, Jan 2S.-Talke a handful
of putty tae size Of an ordinary four
pound iron weight to be found in any
grocery store. Fashion it roughly into
a round mass, and you viii have APP
pFoNimately the size of the newly found
diamond
Or take two small teacups and hold
them together you viii get q similar
result. Such gem, it is said by dia-
ucnd experts, is too large for wear In
all probability it viii be cut up into
smaller stones. Even if kept intact it
would probably lose from 40 TO 60 per
cent in cutting.
ffle first information of the big find
came in cable dispatch TO Jefferson NJ.
Levy, the heaviest stakeholder in this
country IN the company in whose mine
the diamond was found. It said:
Discovery of a00O-carat stone; value.
+i'VVeoo- Mr.. Levy knew nothing else
ABOUT the find. bun told something about
the company which owns the stone.
The Premier Mine.
The Premier mine was opened about
two years ago he said THE company
Is known as the Premier Diamond Mine
III the TransvaaL' 1t had capital
stock OF 9Soooo. 1t has paid well from
the hrst. Three months ago the stock
was selling in London at &25 per share.
len days ago the price had advanced
10 Isl. Last week the stock vas reap
portioned- For every 100 shares the
hoidef got z63 shares in deferred stock
6 esno1n here as common stock and 200
shares IN preferred stock
thursday the deferred stock was
quoted in london at SIS "a share Yes
he find ir
was selling at 819. The preferred stock
seld thursday in London at Esq: yes
teFday Il was 916. For several months
the DeBeers Company, which owns
most Of the big mines in the nirnber-
icy region, with an enormous capital
ms oeeh atter the Premier mine, but
ths company has refused TO sell and has
remained independent
Largest Ever Found.
George f. Kunz, the Tiffany expert.
was greatly interested when he heard
of the diamond found in the Premier
NINE 1t was the largest diamond ever
found, he said. a few years ago a
black diamond was found in Brazil
which weighed 1899 carats 1t was of
no use except cut up and used on dia-
mond drills Except for this, the gem
just found is three times bigger than
any other yet discovered
hunz explained the size OF the 1900
carat diamond as compared with u four
SAID, 1t weighed about e2I56 graurnes
or about a pound and half s.voirlu-
pols 1t would lose from 10 to 60 per
cent IN cutting, depending on the shape
OF the stone He thought that it was
lKeiy that a diamond OF such size would
be lett as large as possible by the cut
lers- be wouldn't place value on the
pig diamond, although he didn't dispute
the Vaiue of ei-000000 said To be placed
en- It The value, he said. would depend
TO q great extent on its size and quality
The Syndicate" Stone.
The last diamond Of any note found
in recent years was the Syndicate.
dug up in the DeBeers mines about two
years ago 1t weighed, uncut $50 carats.
II was said to have been purchased by
the Tiffanys and cut up. Most of it is
now believed TO be in the Tiffany store
IN this city.
The new diamond, weighing exactly
G.930 cafats, viii rank as the largest
diamond ever found Some of she others
notable for their size or history are the
Great Mogul. the Orlof. the Regent, the
florentlne,z the Southern Star, the koh-
l-noof, the SHAH the Sanci and the Po-
lar Star. The collection of gems of the
tate emperor OF Brazil was said to have
contained a diamond, known as the Bra
zanza, which weighed 1850 carats or
stpout twelve ounces. Il is believed
however, that II was only a fine color
Tess topaz. II IS the only diamond that
approaches the new gem in size.
another large diamond when cut was
one owned by the Rajah Of Mattan. 1t
weighed 56I carats and was egg-shaped
with an indented hollow near one end
Many years ago the governor of Ror-
heo oIiere1 $4,000 two warships fully
equipped, and number of cannon and
quantity of powder for it
Famous 4Koh-i-noor."
The Koh-i-noor weighed 7e0 carats
when found. but cut down 10 l86 carats
and later TO 1921 carats. 1t is valued
al $3.50, C6G- 1t was once in the possession
CT the Great Mogul- 1t is believed that
IN the first cutting u big piece, weighing
$50 carats after The cutting, and since
known as the Orloff. was taken by the
cater The Orlof is owned by the En-
peror Of Russia ard is said once to have
been the eye Of an Indian idol 1t is
valued at sl000.0Jg.
The Regent. another famous Jewel
weighed 30 carats and cut down fo 1856
IL 1I9l il Was valued at 81, 10000 Since
then II has not been valued. 1t is un-
fiNaAed for limpidness and form. Ii
vas found IN GolOnda and brought
from India by Pitt, the grandfather of
the first Earl Of Chatham who sold ID
&c the Duke Of Orleans for f130,000 II
decorated the hilt OF the sword OF state
or the first Napoleon and was taken
from MIN by the Prussians at the battle
Of Waterloo. II now belongs 10 the King
% Prussia.
"star of South Africa"
carats and cut TO 135 carats. 1t was sold
TO an Oriental potAntate for $500. GEO.
The Florentiae weighed l35 carats
after leaving the cutters hands and was
sold Tor about 5000 The Victoria
diamond, shown nj the Paris EXPOSE
tion IN 1888. was sold TO the Nizarn of
Eyderabad for 10000, nearly a years
income OF his realm
In point OF historical interest. the
Sarci diamond probably comes first 1t
weighed i05 carats and belonged to
Charles the Bold Duke of Burgundy.
who wore il in his hat at the battle Of
Nancy, n which he fell. a Swiss sol
der found the jewel and sold il to a
clergyman for q gulden. X passed into
the possession Of Anton. King of Por-
tugal. who was obliged 10 sell It for
100. 900 francs. 1t then got into the pos
session Of Sauci, a Frenchman. one of
whose descendants WAS sent as ambaS-
sador by his sovereign who required the
diamond q a pledge. The servant car
ryfng II was murdered, nut not until
ne had swallowed the diamond. His
master had the body cut open and found