Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-12-29
SIAl :.
NOW IN SCI.
Other Part Of Culllnan Diamond
AdOTnS British Crown.
QUEEN NARY MAY WEAR BOTH.

Famous Gems Can BE Removed From
Eublsms Of Empire and Used ss
Pendant--Finder Of 3,o24 Carat Stone
Thought himself Victim Of Joke un.
III His Prize Was Appraised.
The two great Culunan diamonds
now shine dazzingly In the crown and
sccpter of King George Of England.
The larger, the Star of Africa, which
weighs 5iGia carats. has been set In
the kings scepter. the smaller gem,
weighing 500 $40 carats, finds place in
the imperial crown and on state occa-
sionS spurkles and burns Immediately
"'oyc the ermine band which circles
the crowns base.
/ The diamonds can be removed from
the British emblems of power and
worn Jointly as a pendant. Thus they
may adorn Queen Mary, who can have
the satisfaction Of knowing that no
woman on tie civilized globe possesses
their equals
The setting OF the diamonds In the
crown aud scepter and as a pendant
. Nf'F' AAAAA ANA''i W NAfsNNlN - val ldlAs Aut
crown jewelers., London. 1t was difh.
cult TO prepare the scepter to receive
the Star of Africa for the general
ornamentation of the regal bauhle had
to be kept intact-it has heraldic sig
niGcanCe.
kohinoor Small by Comparison.
It gives a better idea of the Star of
I Africa's size TO state that the Kohl
moor, which to the popular mind is the
ideal big diamond" weighs after sew
eral cuttings lOG 1-1G carats.
The Cullinan diamond was named
after the head of the company which
owns the Premier diamond mine in
J South Africa, where the diamond was
found in January, 1905. The original
stone, by far the largest diamond ever
found, weighed 1924 carats. or nearly
one pound six ounces avoirdupois.
At that learned mineralogists and ex-
perts on gems believe it was part of
still larger diamond which was cloven
when a volcanic eruption hurled It
with titanic force from the molten
depths where 1t was formed No less
an expert than Or. George Frederick
Kunz estimates that the original dia-
mond weighed no less than 5000 carats
and that the part of it not yet found
is in four pieces at least.
Presented to King Edward.
The Cullinan diamond was presented
to King Edward by the South African
states, including the former Boer re.
pubiCS, as q token of peace and re-
Couciliation. The price paid for it has
been stated in various figures and as
high as 81 100000. Even that sum is
far below its theoretical value. AT
great cost the huge stone was cut into
two gems, which now ornament the
British regalla.
The stone was found by the merest
chance. The days work at the Pre-
mier mine was over, and Frederick
Wells. the surface manager, was max
ing his usual rounds.
I Glancing along one side of the deep
. excavation, his eye suddenly caught
/ the glcam OF a brilliant object far up
climbing up TO the spot where he hG6
noted the CLINT Of light. He had not
been mistaken; ii was really a bril-
/ liant crystal He tried to pull 1t out
with his fingers and rs this proved
impossible he sought to pry it out
with the blade of his pcnknife. To his
surprise the knife blade broke without
causing the stone to yield.
Finder Thought It a joke.
Telling of his discovery Mr.. Wells
said: when took a good look Mt the
stone Stucl. there In the side Of the
pit it suddenly flashed across me that
| had gone insane-that the whole
thing was imaginary. | knew it could
not be diamond Al at once anoth-
er solution Guwncd on me. Some prac-
tical joker. thought !, has planteNsthis
huge chnnk Of glass here for me T.
find T."
With the aid OF a larger blade of his
knife he finally succeeded in pryinG
J out the stone and carried it to the
mines ofi~e Hero It was cleaned,
and. to the aStoni~hmcnt OF all, it was
found to have weight Of 1924 carats,
! more than three times that Of any 9th
or diamond that had been discovered.