polishing
will obliterate the defective portions. Such a method was adopted with
the great Cullinan diamond, as described in Chapter IV. From this
remarkable diamond a great number of magnificent stones were obtained,
the two chief being the largest and heaviest at present known. Some
idea of the size of the original stone may be gathered from the fact
that the traditional Indian diamond, the " Great Mogul," is said to
have weighed 280 carats. This stone, however, is lost, and some experts
believe that it was divided, part of it forming the present famous
Koh-i-nur ; at any rate, all trace of the Great Mogul ceased with the
looting of Delhi in 1730. The Koh-i-nur weighs a little over 106
carats; before cutting it weighed a shade over 186 ; the Cullinan, in
the same state, weighed nearly 3254 carats. This massive diamond was
cut into about 200 stones, the largest, now placed in ' The Royal
Sceptre with the Cross," weighing 516-1/2 carats, the second, now
placed under the historic ruby in " The Imperial State Crown," weighing
309-3/16ths carats. These two diamonds are now called " The Stars of
Africa." Both these stones, but especially the larger, completely
overshadow the notorious Koh-i-nur, and notwithstanding the flaw which
appeared in the original stone, every one of the resulting pieces,
irrespective of weight, is without the slightest blemish and of the
finest colour ever known, for the great South African diamond is of a
quality never even approached by any existing stone, being ideally
perfect.
It
requires a somewhat elaborate explanation to make clear the various
styles of cut without illustrations. They are usually divided into two
groups, with curved,
