To
this gem the name "Star of the South" was attached. The black woman was
probably none the richer for her discovery, but the stone was acquired
by a syndicate and subsequently found its way into the treasure chamber
of the Gaekwar of Baroda, who paid ,£ 80,000 for it. In its cut state,
being of oval shape, it turned the scale at 125 carats.
This
Indian potentate eventually lost his throne through diamonds. He was
rather too fond of prescribing powdered diamonds for those of his
subjects who could not see eye to eye with him, and had indeed tried
his panacea on the then British resident, Colonel Phayre. A specially
commissioned tribunal appointed by the British Government sat on the
matter, and having found him guilty, deposed him.
Another
brilliant from Brazil, the "Pitt" or "Regent", has an interesting
history. It was found as far back as 1701 in the Parteal mines on the
Kistna. In the rough state it weighed 410 carats, but cut only 136%
carats.
The
story goes that the slave who found it made a wound in his calf in
which to conceal the stone, but another version has it that he merely
pretended to be hurt and concealed the stone beneath a bandage. He made
his bid for liberty and jumped an outgoing ship, but unfortunately for
him he told his story to the captain, who is said to have thrown the
fellow overboard after making sure of the gem. Subsequently he sold it
for ^20,000 to Thomas Pitt, Governor of Fort St. George, dissipated the
proceeds and hanged himself in a fit of delirium tremens. The stone was
offered to the Duke of Orleans in 1717 at
