The Cullinan and other Diamonds

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4, 28 January 1909, Page 139

The Cullinan and other Diamonds

According to a recent cable message, the Oullinan diamond lias been cut into two, the smaller one weighing 350 carats and the larger 600 carats. The Cullinan diamond was presented to King Edward by the Transvaal Government. The cutting and polishing of the stone were done in Holland. When the Cullinan diamond was shipped to England its quality .was a moot point. Now it has been found to be of superfine quality, pure white, and possessed of remarkable brilliance and lustre.

This is undoubtedly the largest diamond of which we have any reliable information. Very valuable jewels were supposed to be in the possession of Eastern potentates, but no definite' knowledge of their size or weight has come down to us. M. Tavernier, a famous French gem expert in the reign of LouU XIV., was associated with many of the most noted jewels of history. He travelled extensively in the Orient, and there won the confidence of merchants and potentates and saw many carefully-guirded jewels which had never been viewed by any other European. A few of these jewels he succeeded in buying for Louis XIV. Of others he wrote careful descriptions, which have made it possible to trace the history of the stones.

It was Tavernier who saw the Great Mogul and secured convincing evidence that that immense diamond, known by tradition throughout the world, was not a myth. In 1650 Tavernier visited the court of Aurungzebe, who had usurped the throne of his brother, Shah Jehan, Mogul of Hindustan. Shah Jehan had owned many of the most famous jewels of the Orient, among them the Great Mogul. This stone was found in the mines of Golconda, and fell into the hands of the Emir Jemla", who was the favorite of the Rajah of and stole everything within sight, including most of the output of the Golconda, diamond mines.

The Rajah became suspicious of him, and the Emir promptly went to Shah Jehan.ancl offered him a sack full of diamonds if he would make war against Golconda. The Great Mogul was in the sack. The ill-luck which is said to pursue all owners of wonderful diamonds followed Shah Jehan. His sons were all murdered. He was dethroned and imprisoned." He made an effort to destroy his jewels, but was restrained, and they fell into the hands of Aurungzebe, who showed them to Ta vernier. The Great Mogul, according to Tavernier, weighed 900 carats in the rough, and was a true diamond of fine water, shaped like an egg cut in half. The jewel disappeared with Aurungzebe, and has never been traced, but it is believed that it was carried off by Nadir Shah in the sack of Delhi, and was broken up -into smaller stones. On the strength of Tavernier's testimony, it stands as the largest authentic diamond of history.

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