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THE FRENCH BLUE.
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sire
and other fine qualities it certainly may be called unique, as we may
presume there exists no cabinet nor any collection of crown jewels in
the world which can boast of the possession of so curious and fine a
gem as the one we are now describing, and we expect to be borne out in
our opinion by our readers. There are extant historical records and
treatises on the precious gems which give us descriptions of all the
extraordinary diamonds in the possession of all the crowned heads of
Europe as well as of the princes of the Eastern countries. But in vain
do we search for any record of a gem which can in point of curiosity,
beauty and perfection be compared with this blue brilliant, etc."
Mr.
Hertz was no doubt a good jeweller and a clever expert, but he was not
very learned in the history of precious stones or he could never have
made this astonishing statement. He had only to search in the records
of France to find the account of a wonderful blue diamond of even
greater size.
With
regard to the value of the diamond, he declares his inability to fix
any sum, saying • "There being no precedent the value cannot be
established by comparison. The price which
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