Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-10
THE DISAPPEARING DIAMONDS
~ Frederic J. Haskin

Washington, March I0.--The great
collection OF Russian crown Jewels
seems likely 10 share the mysterious
fate of tho peacock throne I'm Delhi.
The peacock throne, which cost Sinh
Jehen 10000 900. was n wonderful
canopied chair OF pure gold encrustsd
with rubiss. sapphires, and festoons
OF pearls. and ornamentsd with two
great jcweled pescocks and life
sized parrot cut from a single emerald.
n WAS a fabulous work Of art and
whom II slipped out OF sight after the
death OF tho Shah there was much
speculation. Presumably strand u
pearls was Topped on hcre, n ruby
prled on there. and the emerald par
rot cut into number OF less distinc-
tive Jewels. Today mere throne
framework In Teheran IL pointed out
uncertainty us the peacock throne.
The crown jewels Of Russia are sup
posed 10 be slipping away in similar
fashion. There ~as no word OF any
footing when the Kremlin Ia Moscow,
whore the glittering jewels OF royalty
reposed, fell into the hands of the rev.
olutionists. Tho Rrenlin has been
guarded by the Soviet government.
Tho condition Of the great collection
of Jewels IN tho royal treasury CALLER
les IL yelled I'm mystery.
South African papers In close touch
with the diamond trade state that NO.
OO0, 900 worth az stolen Russian dia-
monds were thrown on the Jewel mar
ket In ten months In 192l-and the
crown jewel collection Of Russia was
particularly rich In diamonds.
The diamond production industry
( has been seriously disturbed by the
large number OF these gems coming
IN reported IS moro stable. Some
South African mines that stopped
producing TO await q demand for their
stones are q work again.
Crown Jewels on tho Market
That some Of the jewels which hav,
SO affected the international trade arr
from the royal collection there is n,
doubt. For instance. "A germ expert Il
this city. Mr.. ". G. Shaw, had twt
snufr boxes from the royal possessions
"One OF these SNUFF boxes" eaid Nj
Shaw. bore a portrait in enamel o
the grandfather OF the late Car. TIT
was the Gar who was killed by bonn
while driving in his carriage not q
many years ago. Around tho portal
were concentric rings Of diamonds
. This snuff box was a rife 20 the Ca
and was made in France. The othe
box. Of Russian workmanship. wa
obiong and made OF pure. highly chase
: gold"
3 These boxes have gone to swell IN
, collections OF American connosseurs
: Mr.. Shaw explained that while yer
I little IL known of the fate Of the Ru:
sian crown jewels. agents Of N
Soviet government are known 20 has
sold Jewels in Turkey. Holland. ar
others places
"Jewelry Of wonderful workman
! ship" he said, has been sold by yea,
: ants. In some cases, for TidicuioJ
I prices. A piece that was worth 500
: 600 has sometimes been sold for 81
. in the first trade. Then, az IL fell in'
!. the hands of experts tho price wou
= RAPIDLY reach what might be cslle
:, O. normal level.
: The greatest part OF the Jewels ths
" have come from Russia lately hat
" gone to London. Many diamond
however, have been gent 70 Hollar
TO be recut. There does not seem
have been any fear Of pieces beiT
identified. There was no special a
:. tempt 10 have the appearance chan
" ed. There was no need Cor The metho
:, OF a burglar in dealing with the pro
a erty OF departed royalty.
Moreover. the artistry Of the Ru
VI sian settings enhances the value
. the gems. The niello work-patter
-. OF black alleged metal on white-al
the beautiful enameling are too mu
admired 20 be recklessiy destroyed.
Stones Being Recut
Pieces have been changed. rath,
because the stones were what il knoy
as old-mine cutting. Nine-tenths
the diamonds in old collections, Il
that q the Russian crown, are OF
mine cutting. That means that IN
we're cut by hand, and the facets OF
hand-cut stone are neither so nume
GUS nor SO sharply cut as those OF
stOHe Cut Dy HsSuSIH iAiGSHAAoAs'
c, nlachine-cut stones with their ma Il
matically correct facets are far me-
&c brilliant rnan these old diamonds.
even though recruiting involve. a Il
Of about twenty per cent OF sto
the old diamonds must be recut
fore they are desirable for the mode
Id jewelry trade"
Mr.. Shaw explained that the RI