Imperial Valley press., 1927-06-06
Bv VICTOR w. KNAUTH
Omitted Press start Correspondent


MOSCOW, June 2.-The Soviet
government owns SO many precious
diamonds that il cannot get rid of
them. II is choked with its own
riches. The Crown Jewels of the
Ears. now owned bv the govern
ment, are conscrvatiVely valued at
not Il penny less than $50, 1000, 900
but they might as well be worth
nothing, 50 far as they help the
Soviet state. They are SO valuable
that nobody will buy them. And
the government which owncs this
kingly fortune in gems is hard up
for cash.
The officials in the C0mmissariat
ot Finance are trying to forget they
possess such things as diamonds and
cmeraids and pearls, while they sit
up nights figuring uut wavs 10 get
the cash they need to keep the
country going.
One gigantic uncut diamond in
the top Of the former Imperial sccp-
ire would take Il great load off the
cial planners, ii it could be turned
into money. 1t is the Orloff dia
mond. shaped like an egg and near
Is rs large. flawless and worth tens
of millions of dollars. But nobody
wants it. 1t was given to the En-
press Catherine the Great in the
days of reckless spending. by a
courticr who thought hr was slip
ping from her favor and wanted to
get back into her good graces. 1t
is too valuable to be bought nova
days.
Threatens Shah
There is another little chunk OF
transparent stone which would re-.
levc the government Of Worrying
about some $l5,0C0,000 if only
somebody could be found to buy it.
This close packed little bit OF value
is only an inch long and half an
inch square, about half the size of
a MATCHBOX. But it is an diamond,
without blemish. Catherine the
Great gets credit for adding that
one, too, to the worries Of the Boil
SheNlks who succeeded her in Dow
'r some l5U years later. The En-
press catherine threatened 10 make
war on the Shah of Persia and he
sent her this SO 1000 600 ,rinket to-
Keep the peace. 1t was rumored
that Catherine the Great knew the
Shah had this stone and suspected
he might do something like that
with it, ii she talked loud enough
rbout war. But some Of the present
Soviet rnanciers wish Catherine
mad not been quite so great. She
loaded them with an aggravating
problem. They think she might
have taken the money instead.
Crown Worth $4,000, 900 !
Up on top of the Imperial Crown,
rerchcd on a little Hill of sparkling
diamonds, is Il ruby which would !
build several hydro electric stations
II II could be turned into dollars. 1t |
Is shaped like a sickle pear, with a /,
twlst to the narrow end of it. All
IT is good for now is to turn the !
into a splash of magnifi- ,
cent rose when the rays go through !
il. 1t is still long way from be. !
Irg turned into even one hydro,elec.
tric station. Nobody can be found
who can afford to buy it, though /
The government might be ready to
sell it dirt chcap-~for some 500.
100000, perhaps. OF course, that
would not include the thousand odd !
big diamonds on which it rests. !
" which decorate the crown. There
are as many diamonds on the crown
as could be put on an ordinary !
large derby hat, if they were put /
as close together as possible. There |
is double row Of enormous silky
pearls on it, too. The whole crown. ,
with the ruby on top, is worth j..
about ST., ZOO, 600 or more. The Sow.
let government cannot get rid OF
the thing.
Then of course there are other
little articles which might be turn
ed into a dozen locomotives or 20 |
radio roadcasting stations, i'm
provements which the Soviet finan-