CELEBRATED DIAMONDS 91
Gaikwar of Baroda, for £40,000, in whose family it remains.
One
of the most important stones from the mines of Brazil, is the " Star of
the South." It was picked up by a negress at work in the mines of
Bagagem, Minas Geraes, July, 1853. The crystal, which weighed 254-1/2
carats, was an irregular dodecahedron with very obtuse angles, having
24 natural facets. Faint streaks thereon suggested possible octahedric
cleavage. Apparently it was one of a group originally, as there was a
deep depression in one of the facets which had evidently been occupied
formerly by an octahedral crystal, and in other parts of the surface
were two similar depressions. On one side also there was a flat place
as though other crystals had been twinned with it. There were several
inclusions, thought to be small plates of titanic iron. It is said
that the negress received her freedom and a pension for life as a
reward, and that her master, Casimiro de Tal, sold the crystal for
£3,000. The purchaser upon depositing it with the Bank of Rio de
Janeiro, got advances of £30,000 on it. Ultimately it was sold in the
rough to a syndicate headed by Halphen for, some say 302, some, 430
contos de reis (about £34,000 to £48,000). They named it " Estrella do
Sud," and had it cut to an oval brilliant of 125 carats by Voorsanger
in the establishment of Coster in Amsterdam at a cost of nearly £500.
The size of it is 35x29x19 mm. The quality is fine and it is clean.
After cutting, it was exhibited in the Dutch department of the London
Exhibition in 1862, and at Paris in 1867. An Indian rajah offered
through a merchant £110,000 for it, but the offer was refused. Later
Mr. E. Dresden bought it for the
