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THE ORLOFF.
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chaser.
But this proved no easy matter. The splendid Catharine of Russia, it is
said, rejected it though fond of diamonds and not slow to spend money,
because the price asked was too high for her. It remained for a subject
to buy it and present it to her as a gift. This then is the history of
the Orloff diamond in India according to the most trustworthy accounts.
Having brought the diamond to Europe we no longer deal vaguely, but are instantly face to face with an exact date.
"
We learn from Amsterdam that Prince Orloff made but one day's stay in
that city where he bought a very large brilliant for the Empress his
sovereign, for which he paid to a Persian merchant the sum of 1,400,000
florins Dutch money."
So
says a gossipy letter dated January 2, 1776; and as further we are
informed of the value of the " florins Dutch money " in English
pennies, we learn that the price paid to the "complete old scoundrel"
of a Khojeh Raphael was one hundred thousand pounds ($500,000).
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