Diamond Hunter: Diamonds, Rubies, & Pearls - Largest & Most Beautiful, Tavernier Page 117



102	LARGE RUBIES	BOOK II

No.-5 is the figure of a ruby which a Banian merchant showed me at Benares during my last visit to India. It weighs 58 ratis, or 50f ^l carats, and is of the second quality. Its form is of an almond cabuchon somewhat hollowed beneath, and bored near the point. I was willing to give 40,000 rupees for it, which make 60,000 livres,² but the merchant to whom it belonged asked 55,000 rupees. I believe I could have got it for 50,000 rupees.³ No. 6- is the figure of the large topaz of the Great Mogul. I did not see him wear any other jewel during the time I remained at his Court on my last visit to India. This topaz weighs 181 1/8 ratis, or 157 1/4 carats.⁴ It was bought at Goa for the Great Mogul, for the sum of 181,000 rupees, or 271,500 livres of our money.⁵ No. 7. These grand monarchs of Asia are not the only ones in the world who are in possession of beautiful stones. I have not seen as large rubies in any of the thrones of the Great Mogul as are those represented in the plate Nos. 7, 8, and 9, which belong to our great King, the most powerful and magnificent, in all respects, among the Monarchs of the earth ! ¹ At the rate of one rati = 7/8 th of a carat. ⁸ £4,500. ³ £5,750. The following reference to two great rubies may be quoted : ' In the aforesaid island of Sylen [Ceylon] is a very potent King, who hath precious stones of every kind under heaven, in such quantity as to be almost incredible. Among these he hath two rubies, of which he weareth one hung round his neck, and the other on the hand wherewith he wipeth his lips and his beard ; and each is of greater length than his breadth of four fingers, and when held in the hand it standeth out visibly on either side to the breadth of a finger. I do not believe that the universal world hath two stones like them, or of so great a price, of the same species' (Friar Jordanus, Wonders of the East, ed. Yule, p. 30 ; cf. Yule, Marco Polo, ii. 254, 256). ¹ 181 1/8 ratis = 158 1/2 carats nearly. In vol. i, p. 319, it was said to weigh 6 melscals «= 1 Fr. once. It was probably the stone referred to in vol. i, p. 296. Bernier, already quoted, alludes to it as a ' beautiful oriental topaz of matchless size and splendour, shining like a little sun' (Travels in the Mogul Empire, 268). ⁶ £20,412 10*.