Evening star., 1923-01-21
Lure of the Diamond.

TN olden times the diamond was re-
garded not only as a mark of roy
atty or nobility, to be worn only by
those favored individuals, but it was
looked upon as the emblem of purity
and by some nations believed to pos
sess the wonderful power Of not only
binding marital vows, but of healing
dissensions between husband and
wife, 'magically reconciling and reu-
hitting parted couples; or, as one illit-
crate iconociast put it, ''mending mar
ital breeches.'
That probably originated the modern
custom of presenting diamond engage
ment rings before marriage and dia-
mond brooches and earrings after mar
riage.
Notwithstanding its great reputa-
tion for good luck, tho diamond, if all
the tales Of travellers are true, that
Is, the great historic diamonds, have ac-
quired a reputation for bad luck and
gruesome misfortune to their owners,
which have furnished some Of the dark
est pages Of history.
Hundreds of tales have been told of
regalia of the moguls, but those best
known to English and American read
ers are the lists Of dark crimes perpe-
trated for the possession Of the famous
Kohinoor. Regent and Orloff brilliants.
The Kohinoor and the Orloff were at
one time part OF the famous peacock
throne Of Delhi and were stolen by
Nadir Shah. The Regent, however. was
stolen from the mine in which it was
found and was never in the possession
Of the moguls. It had dark history,
however, and was the cause Of at
least three deaths. The slave who stole
it, by concealing it in slit in the
calf of his leg, was thown overheard
and drowned by the captain to whom
he offered 1t for passage on the
latter's ship. The captain who stole
it from the original thief and sold it
to the English resident at Calcutta
drank himself into delirium tremens and
hung himself, and the last thief. who
stole it from the French collection in
the Louvre, was guiliotined.
Thomas Pitt, the grandfather OF the
great English statesman who finally
drove Napoleon the Great from power.
made the fortune of his house, how
ever, by the sale of the stone to the
regent Of France early in the eighteenth
century, the Prince OF Orleans paying
more than half million dollars for It
The stone also made the fortune OF
Napoleon, as the directory pledged it
to the Dutch government in 1900 for
100000 francs. thereby raising the
money with which Napoleon conducted
the great campaign which won him
the battle of Marengo and elevated him
to the imperial throne.
Just now it is evidently lucky stone,
for it is still the principal ornament
of the French regalia.
The Orloff and Kohinoor had much
darker histories. Nadir Shah, who
stole them from the mogul, was assas-
sinated; the rebel who stole them from
Nadir lost his eyes.
After that the two brilliants were
separated. The Orloff was stolen by
an Afghan. who turned it over to an
other oriental. who placed 1t in the
keeping of a false friend, and for a
time the stone was lost. The Afghan.
however, located IL ana, aIIer Inree
murders had been committed for its
possession, the last robber succeeded
in getting 1t to Amsterdam, where he
sold it to Prince Orloff, the favorite
of Catherine II, for 100000, title of
nobility and a pension Of 10000 rubles.
Since IL became part Of the regalia
of Russia three czars, Paul, Alexander
II and Nicholas III. have been Sassassi-
mated. the Russian monarchy has been
overthrown and. at last accounts, the
Orloff. together with the other Russian
crown jewels. was in the possession
OF the soviet.
The Kohinoor's bad influence and i'll
luck appears to haye departed since the
brilliant came under the benign in
f1uence Of the English crown Used to
pay part Of the war indemnity assessed
against one Of the Indian rebels In 1850,
the stone was presented to Queen Vic
toria. The English government had 1t
recut at a loss Of eighty-five carats, but
what II lost In size It gained In beauty
and brilliancy. With the loss of it's
ugly shape 1t appears to have lost its
malisn influence, and 1t has ever since
been a thing of beauty that has shone
IN he roniA od ~ o-raot