CELEBRATED STONES
Of the
diamonds celebrated for their size or historical association, the
genuineness of two is questioned. The " Braganza," of sixteen hundred
and eighty carats, found in the diamond-mines of Brazil, and now among
the crown jewels of Portugal, is said to be a white topaz. As a
critical examination is not permitted, there is no certainty about it.
The
" Mattam" has been pronounced rock crystal, but some think that an
imitation of the real stone only was examined. Fig. 2, Plate XVIII.,
is a drawing of this stone. It weighs three hundred and sixty-seven
carats, and was found, about 1760, at Landak, in the Island of Borneo.
It belongs to the Rajah of Mattam, in Borneo.
What
has become of the " Great Mogul" is unknown. It was seen by Tavernier
in 1665, who says it was found in Kollur, some time between 1630 and
1650. Mr. Edwin W. Streeter, however, thinks it came from Wajra Karur.
In either case it was an Indian stone and weighed in the rough seven
hundred and eighty-seven and one-half carats. By unskilful cutting it
was reduced to one hundred and eighty-eight carats. A drawing of it can
be found in Plate XVII.
There
has been much speculation and disputing about the fate of this stone.
Some writers endeavor to show that the "Orloff" is the same; others
think the " Koh-i-noor" is. Imagination and unauthenticated statements
have been drawn upon to support either theory. At the time Tavernier
saw it the weights of Eastern and European countries varied very
considerably, and where weights are recorded, we are without definite
knowledge of the exact equivalent in our weights of 20
