Czarina,
Catherine II. Orloff was himself at the time also on his travels.
Having fallen under the displeasure of Catherine, he had absented
himself from Court until the storm should blow over. Khojeh's offer
was now eagerly accepted, as affording an excellent opportunity for
recovering the favor of the empress, who is reported to have already
declined the purchase as too costly, but who now accepted the jewel at
the hands of her illustrious subject. Orloff paid the merchant .£90,000
in cash, besides procuring him an annuity of £4,000. According to some
accounts a patent of nobility was added. But it will be seen that this
honour was reserved for the Armenian, Shafrass, in connection with the
" Moon of Mountains " diamond. Some writers also state that the "
Orloff" was at one time set in the throne of Nadir Shah, and that after
his murder it was stolen by a French grenadier, who escaped with it to
Madras. In order to substantiate this story, it would be necessary to
assume that there were two French grenadiers concerned in the theft of
two of the largest diamonds in the world, that both of them fled to
Madras, and that both also sold their plunder for the the same sum of
£2,000 to an English skipper. Of course nobody will believe this, and
we shall see that Nadir Shah's gem was not taken to India, but from
India, and that no French grenadier was concerned in its theft.
King
writes " certain it is that Nadir Shah brought the " Orlofif" back
amongst the spoils of Delhi, along with the " Koh-i Nur." This
statement must also be rejected as absolutely erroneous, originating
