HISTORICAL AND REMARKABLE DIAMONDS. 233
the Jew and carried off the jewels. But his crimes did not stop
here ; the Afghan was first despatched for fear he might reveal
the assassination of the Jew, and then the two brothers of the
murderer, who were his partners in trade, that he might reap
all the profits arising from the sale. After the commission of
these horrible deeds, Shaffras found his way to Holland, where
he established himself as a dealer in precious stones. A
report of the valuable diamond in his possession reached the
Empress Catherine II., who invited the owner to St. Petersburg, with the object of arranging a bargain for its sale. This
invitation was accepted, but before negotiations were completed, the Armenian suddenly disappeared with the gem>
probably from fear of detection, and was not heard from until
several years afterwards, when he was found in Astrachan.
Efforts to secure the diamond were made by the Russian government, which eventually resulted in its purchase for an
immense sum ; Shaffras was himself afterwards murdered by
his son-in-law, a just retribution for his crimes. This tragical
story has been connected with another diamond, the " Shah " ;
but it has very slight grounds on which to rest, since this gem
passed directly from the Persian crown to the Russian.
The Abbas Mirza, sometimes called Jehimghcer Shah. —This
diamond, whose weight is said to be one hundred and thirtyeight carats, is supposed to belong to the crown jewels of
Persia. It has no record until the capture of Cûcha, in Khorassan, by Abbas Mirza in 1832, and it attracted no public
notice, says Streeter, until the meeting of the British Association in 1851. It has been thought it might be a part of the
Koh- i-noor, or the Great Mogul ; its weight is one hundred and
ihirtv-eight carats.
The Ahmedabad. — Nothing is known of this diamond
except that it was brought from the East by Tavernier, and.
