PERSIAN CROWN JEWELS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18641, 23 February 1924, Page 10

PERSIAN CROWN JEWELS.

PORTION TO BE SOLD. A DAZZLING COLLECTION. The Persian Government has decided to sell a part of the Crown jewels and bther precious articles to raise money for the construction of railways. ... Persia badly needs railways. But if these are as good as the jewels for which they are to be exchanged, then indeed they Will fee magnificent, remarks the Teheran correspondent of a London journal. The Persian Loyal treasury contains among others- — Darya-i-Noor (Ocean of Light), one of the world s famous diamonds, weighing 186 carats; Mountain of Light", diamond, weighing 135. carats; largest turquoise in the worM; golden globe of the world, 20in. in diameter, in which emeralds are inlaid for the seas and other precious stones for the countries; glass case, 2ft. long and lift, high and wide, half full of pearls of all siies; Kaiatiian Crown, surmounted by a ruby as large as a hen's egg; Kaianian Belt, a foot deep and one mass of pearls, diamonds, emeralds, and rubies; costume covered with pearls ;< trays heaped high with pearls and. sapphires; lambskin caps ornamented with priceless aigrettes of diamonds; gorgeous jewelled carpets; and diamond-studded epaulettes. According to Bishop, the traveller, who saw this dazzling sight, the royal trea-sure-chamber is strewn with a lavish profusion of precious stones of every description, of shields, scabbards, and swordhilts, blazing with diamonds, vessels of gold, ruby-studded armour, priceless chains and enamels and crowns. : "I counted," he says, "nearly 100 emeralds, from half an inch to lj} inches long and an inch broad; and in one scabbard, covered with diamonds, there,- was not a stone smaller than my little finger nail." The value of this treasure is inestimable. Years ago it was calculated at £7,000,000, but it must be far more than that now.