HEN Tavernier was in Java in 1648 he
was a frequent guest of the then reigning Rajah of Bantam, in the
western part of the island. Like most Eastern potentates, this king was
fond of collecting precious stones, and made several purchases from the
French dealer. At one of these interviews he produced a kris or
dagger, which he was having embellished in the Turkish style. The
handle was to be set all over with diamonds, for which purpose, not
possessing enough in his treasury, he commissioned Tavernier to procure
as many as would be required to complete the work. But the top of the
hilt was already covered, and in the plaque there was one very large
diamond cut in facets, which the expert tells us, as far as he could
judge, " was worth at least fifteen or sixteen thousand crowns." The
king informed him that he had received it as a present from the Queen
of Borneo, and that he had sent it to be cut in Goa. But he himself set
a much higher price on it than Tavernier thought it could be worth.
This is all the authentic information we have
