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Ch. 12: Historical Diamonds

Ch. 12: Historical Diamonds Page of 401 Ch. 12: Historical Diamonds Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
HISTORICAL AND REMARKABLE DIAMONDS.         227
great English statesman. No mention is made of the Regent
in the inventory made by Napoleon in 1810, nor in any subsequent official report of the crown jewels, though it was exhibited
at the Exposition of 1855, and is claimed to be the most conspicuous gem in the French crown. This celebrated diamond
is pre-eminent for its symmetrical form, its transparency,
purity, and beauty.
The Hope Blue. — One of the most common occurrences
connected with the history of precious stones is to find writers
on the subject disagreeing in their statements ; therefore, we
have another illustration in the gem known as the Hope Blue,
of the inexplicable confusion of ideas regarding the identity of
celebrated diamonds. Three different blue stones of this species have been mentioned as belonging to France,— the French
Blue, the Tavernier Blue, and the Hope Blue ; and the difficulty presents itself whether these are identical, or whether
there were three or even two blue diamonds, or whether the
genuine Hope is really in existence or has been lost. Streeter
and some other writers believe there was one large blue diamond cut into three stones, and that the Hope was one of them.
The Hope Blue, of 44^ carats, exhibited at the London Exposition of 1851, among the French jewels, is described by Professor
Tennant, who says it combines the beautiful blue of the sapphire with the prismatic " fire " and brilliancy of the diamond.
It was mounted as a medallion, with a border, en arabesque, of
small rose diamonds surrounded by twenty brilliants, all of the
same size and of the first water. This famous gem, unique
of its kind, the most beautiful specimen of blue diamond
known, was purchased by Mr, Hope, an English banker, for
the reputed sum of sixty-five thousand dollars ; a price, it is
thought, far below its real value. The only other gem of
the kind which can approach it in beauty is the Blue
Ch. 12: Historical Diamonds Page of 401 Ch. 12: Historical Diamonds
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