The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-01
ROMANCES OF ROYAL DIAMONDS.
Strange Adventures Of some Famous
RegallR Jewels.

From the London Daily Graphic.
The presentation OF the Cullinan diamond
to the King by Sir Richard Solomon naturally
calls to memory other famous diamonds
which have been the treasured possessions
of royal percentages. Chief among these. OF
course, il the great KOh-i-noor. which, while
not nearly so large as the Cullinan IL weighs
about I02 Ciarats as against the ~latter's 3,O23
carsts uncut. which will probably be reduced
by cutting to about 200 carstsJ D. has had a
history in which romance and tragedy have
succeeded each other through something like
900 years II one is to believe the Hindu
legend TO the effect that il was originally the
property OF one Of the heroes Of the Indian
epic poem the "MahaDharata.
corded that 10 So y. &. the gem was in the
possession OF a Rsjah Of Cjayin. named
Of Malwa. next came into possession. and
they In their turn coded IL TO the SulEsns Of
Delhi. Tavernier in 1885 mentions that he
Delhi. In 1889 Il passed into the hands Of the
Persians, when NaJir shah conquered Delhi
SPe SSHN AS%sd sSSh s sIsei the i%s di sTItS%i
on the death OF Nadir and was afterward
forced to sell it to Raniet Sing. It. remained
time and was finally brought to Lahore.
10 1850. on the annexation OF the Puniab by
the British Government. IL was presented to
Many stories have been written around
the, theft Of precious ornaments from "a gan
The Moonstone" in pa rticulsr-aTe founded
upon the history Of the ,"OrlOT" diamond,
weighing 1913 Csrstg. which is pow mounted
originally one Of = pair which formed the
eyes Of a great idol 10 the Temple OF Brahma.
A French soldier 6y imposing upon tho
confidence Of the priests IN charge Of the
temple succeeded 10 abstracfing one Of the
sss's sold ia i no Tor N. ! ee our se or tsso1sspS pounds Snsss
70 a captain 10 the British Navy. The ca ptsin
t to sn y t 70 E"s1f0S s s%d oS %sGs : s g;s'Oo STG pST
the Jewel from a jewish diamond merchant
Is found its way 70 Russia about i77O. when
OF Catheyine u. The price paid TO the Jew
vas c9O.O0o and . life pension Of 1000.
"Ra aSsS 81 d GSTrss 'A sGSs u Sss " ssfIeS sRs
bought a. Madras by the grandfather Of
T Mii1'f Pitt spid' IT, nr through Ugh the Ss S SSS : John 1n
Who was then Regent q FfsDoeS rs ysISe
from the Bstsvisn Government, and il was
T SsEssisS ~ Si iSina ola Disc one S "a sSs TON sSsS
caused Il TO be mounted In his state sword,
and Il was aitsrw.rd set 70 the imperial
was 40 carats. but IL was reduced in cutting
Among other famous royal diamonds may
Before IL was finished. however, the King
the Countess de LAmOtte-va1ois trlcked
Cardinal de Rohan into buying the necklace
on behalf Of the Queen. Another adventures
impersonated the Queen and thus secured
the necklace from the Cardinal. who had
bought IL on credit. The fraud was exposed
when the Cardinal Was unable to meet the
first instalment due, and in l7sS-s6 the case
was tried before the Parliament OF Paris.
De Roban was exiIed, tho Countess" besien
with rods and branded As y thief. and her
husband. who had helped in the sale Of the
diamonds. was condemned to the galleys
fD- life.