Page:A treatise on diamonds and precious stones including their history Natural and commercial.djvu/78

 £2000, to the captain of a ship; by whom it was disposed of in Europe for about £20,000. At length, it fell into the hands of a merchant, who sold it to Prince Orloff for the late empress Catherine of Russia, for the sum of £90,000 in cash, an annuity of £4000 more, and a title of nobility. In a former edition I stated that this diamond belonged to Nadir Shah; but this may be doubted, as the Asiatics rarely part with Diamonds of a large size; nor do I believe that a single instance of the kind is known to have occurred.

Pitt or Regent Diamond is said to have been found in Malacca. It was purchased by Mr. Pitt, when Governor of Bencoolen, for less than £20,000; and weighed 410 carats.—He brought it to London, had it cut in brilliant, andsold it to the Duke of Orleans, regent of France, for £135,000, five thousand of which was expended in the negotiation, deli-