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CELEBRATED DIAMONDS 87
edge
at the close of the seventeenth century, and was lost until well on in
the nineteenth, when it was recognized in Turkey by the inscriptions.
It was known there as the " Shepherd's stone." Mr. George Blogg bought
it in Constantinople in February, 1866. He brought it to London and had
it recut from 120 Arabic to 116 English carats, by Mr. L. M. Auerhaan,
to a drop-shape diamond of 71 or 72 carats, and sold it the following
year to the Gaikwar of Baroda for 3-1/2 lacs of rupees, or about
£35,000. It is now in the treasury of that country. The inscriptions
were of course destroyed in recutting. Tradition says that the " Akbar
Shah " was one of the eyes in the Peacock throne of the Moguls,
destroyed by Nadir Shah when he looted Delhi.
The
Shah of Persia is credited with the possession of two large fine
diamonds also brought from Delhi, which are worn, some say in two
armlets, others, one in an armlet and one at the knee. Sir John
Malcolm, in " Sketches of Persia," 1827, says they weigh 186 and 146
carats respectively. The larger one is known as the " Darya-i-nur "
(Sea of light) and the other as " Taj-e-mah " (Crown of moon). They are
of Indian origin undoubtedly, as they are skillfully rose-cut after
the Hindustan fashion. Both are fine stones, but the Taj-e-mah is said
to be the finest diamond in the Persian collection of jewels. Streeter
says the Shah of Persia obtained the smaller one from Mir Jumma, a
diamond merchant, and that it is supposed to have come originally from
Sumb-hulpore, a district noted for the fine quality of its stones,
though large ones were seldom found there. The Darya-i-nur is a large,
flat, oval-shaped stone. Together they have been valued at 20,000,000
marks.
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