THE ORLOFF. 39
that
the most splendid gems which Russia now possesses were added to her
treasures. First and foremost stands the Orloff. With the exception of
the very dubious Braganza of Portugal the Orloff is the largest diamond
in Europe. It outweighs the Regent by more than half a hundred carats,
reaching as it does the astonishing weight of one hundred and
ninety-three carats.
The
origin of this gem is absolutely lost and its early history is involved
in obscurity and contradiction. It appears a stone of ancient date. It
was known in India for generations before it was transferred to Europe.
Three Fates—a slave, a ship captain, and a Jew — seem destined to
preside over the advent of each great diamond into our Western world.
Nor were they wanting in this instance — except that a soldier was
substitute for the slave.
The
date, however, is not so easy to discover as the circumstances of its
entrance into European history. It was, at all events, at some time
prior to 1776 that a grenadier belonging to
