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in
1792 was reduced by cleavage, and formed into two brilliants. This
deduction is more probable, as Tavernier's diamond evidently had one of
the crystallographic faces largely produced on the one side,
which gave the stone a 'drop form.' This formation is frequently seen
in diamonds, especially in coloured stones (excepting always the yellow
varieties), leading us to infer that the cleavage plane must have run,
as in the diagram, from A to B.
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"In
the first cutting of the stone the original shape was to some extent
preserved, which left an ill-formed, triangular-shaped brilliant,
somewhat thin on one side. From this it would have been easy for an
expert to cleave a triangular piece of about 10 or 11 carats, thus
leaving the stone weighing about 56 carats, the re-cutting of which, as
a perfect brilliant, well-proportioned, would reduce it to its present
weight of 44 1/2 carats. It is observable that the ' Hope' diamond' is
even now straighter on one side than the other, and this strengthens
the presumption of the stone having been cleaved as suggested. The
late Emperor of the French ordered a model of the ' Blue' diamond in
question to be made while it remained in the Paris Exhibition.
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