Page:The Galaxy, Volume 6.djvu/48

38 But these are constantly changing in character and price, and may be now very different from what they were when Dr. Feuchtwanger wrote about them. In the Great Revolution (1792), the crown jewels were stolen, and many were never recovered, among them a diamond of a rich sky-blue color, which was of immense value, and has never been restored. There is a vague rumor that it is now among the Demidoff jewels in Russia.

Few of us Americans have ever seen the likeness of a kingly crown; and a brief description may, therefore, be here admitted. It is that of the crown made for the coronation of Queen Victoria (June 28, 1838), and is as follows:

The crown weighs little more than three pounds. It is composed of hoops of silver inclosing a cap of deep purple, or rather blue velvet; the hoops are completely covered with precious stones surmounted with a ball covered with small diamonds, and having a Maltese cross of brilliants on the top of it.

The cross has in its centre a splendid sapphire; the rim of the crown is clustered with brilliants and ornamented with fleurs-de-lis and Maltese crosses equally rich. In the front of the Maltese cross, which is in front of the crown, is the enormous heart-shaped ruby once worn by the chivalrous Edward the Black Prince, but now destined to adorn the head of [then] a virgin queen. Beneath this, in a circular rim, is an immense oblong sapphire. There are many other precious gems, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, and several small clusters of drop pearls. The lower part of the crown is surrounded by ermine. It is upon the whole a most dazzling and splendid crown.

The value of the jewels was at the time estimated as follows:

20 diamonds on the circle, £1,500 each - £30,000 2 large centre diamonds, £2000 each 4,000 54 smaller diamonds at the angles 100 4 crosses, each 25 diamonds 12,000 4 large diamonds on top of the crosses 40,000 18 diamonds in the fleur-de-lis 10,000 18 smaller diamonds in the same 2,000 Pearls and diamonds on the crosses, etc. 10,000 141 diamonds on the mound 500 26 diamonds on the upper cross 3,000 2 circles of pearls ... 800 Total ...... £112,400

Equal to $550,000 then, and vastly more valuable now.

I may say here that the Queen is not obliged to sleep in this, nor to wear it about her daily business.

The best diamonds came from India, and the districts of Rohilcund and Golconda were most celebrated. The gems are found in a conglomerate of sandstone and ferruginous sand. The crystals are octahedrons, but many diamonds when found are shapeless. The natives believe that the diamond produces diamond, and that the same ground once washed over, will by-and-by produce another crop. But for all that, the production of diamonds is a poor business, and pays less than to grow wheat.

In 1728, diamonds were discovered in Brazil, since which time great quantities have been brought from there. As many as five thousand negro slaves were employed at the washings in 1775; they had dwindled to one thousand in 1818, and are still less now. In spite of all precautions, nearly all the large diamonds were stolen, and the Government abandoned the business to private hands long ago. Borneo produces some fine diamonds, and Humboldt discovered them in