spoons,
it was brought to Europe, and bought by the house of Raspoli at Rome.
Later it became the property of a German prince, who sold it to Perret,
a Parisian jeweller, for $31,620. This beautiful stone, without
blemish or faults of any kind, weighed 133-1/5 carats. It formed
afterwards part of the riches of the Museum of Natural History at Paris.
This
museum possesses another sapphire of exquisite beauty and exceptional
size. It is oval, and measures two inches by one and a half.
A
very beautiful star sapphire belongs to one of the merchant princes of
New York; and in England, among the jewels of Miss Burdett Coutts, are
two magnificent sapphires estimated at $139,500.
In
the Hope collection—among several fine specimens of this gem—is a
stone called the "Marvellous Sapphire," which is blue by day and
amethystine at night. This gem is said to have afforded the foundation
of one of Madame de Genlis' stories.
ENGRAVED SAPPHIRES.
The ancients engraved the sapphire notwithstanding its extreme hardness.
There
is a beautiful sapphire among the crown jewels of Russia representing a
female figure enveloped in drapery. The stone is of two tints, and
