ASIATIC GEMS.
To Asia we naturally turn for the history of the diamond, and a
solution of some of the phenomena connected with the mineral. But
here we have to contend with vexations at all points; and instead of
clearness, we have obscurity, disconnected histories, conflicting
traditions, and superstitious fancies. However, from the mass of
fragments which have been preserved, the patient antiquary eventually
may be able to arrange an interesting story relating to the gem in the
early days of its discovery and its adoption in ornamentation.
We will now proceed to mention some of the celebrated stones whose
history has been more or less clearly defined; and regret to say that
there are a large number of others of great interest and value, but of
which we are unable to give a correct description.
The Hindoos prize diamonds greatly on account of their supposed
spiritual properties, and they reluctantly part with them unless
compelled by dire necessity, or induced by the hope of greater
gain. Many of the fine diamonds brought to Europe from Asia have
blood-stained histories, and some of them are connected with appalling
atrocities. Therefore we may with propriety say that few of the noble
gems would have found their way to Europe had the free will of their
rightful owners been consulted.
The foremost gem in the history of the diamond was that which was
called the Great Mogul. This was the largest of all known diamonds,
and was found in the rich mines of Gani about the year 1650, or nearly
a century after their discovery. It became the property of Vizier
Mirgimola, who, although a Persian by birth, had by ability and tact
risen to the honor of general and vizier to the King of Golconda. By
means of his rapacity in war, and his success in working the diamond
mines, he became enormously wealthy, and accumulated immense numbers of
gems. The King finally became jealous of the wealth and power of his
favorite, and resolved to destroy him. But Mirgimola, warned of his
danger in time, succeeded in escaping with all his treasures to the
capital of Shah Jehan, the Great Mogul. The wily Persian gained the
favor and protection of the Hindoo monarch by magnificent presents of
gems, the chief of which was the immense diamond which has since been
called the Great Mogul.
The original weight of this mammoth gem is said to have been 787¹⁄₂
karats; but during the process of cutting it was reduced to 279 karats.
Tavernier relates that the work had been intrusted to a Venetian
lapidary by the name of Hortensio Borghis, who, ignorant of the duties
of his task, removed the flaws and external imperfections by grinding
the surface of the stone away. The labor required by this operation
seems almost incredible when we come to consider the hardness of the
stone, and estimate the difficulty of polishing it, especially with
the rude means then in use by the Oriental lapidaries. The cutting
of the Pitt diamond (now the Regent) required two years’ time, with
the aid of modern appliances and the facilities afforded by means of
cleavage, by which large fragments were removed and utilized. Therefore
the statement that this stone was reduced solely by grinding from
787¹⁄₂ karats to 279 karats is likely to meet with disbelief among the
lapidaries; for the operation must have required more than the fifteen
years which had elapsed from the discovery of the gem to the time
Tavernier examined it. Tavernier says distinctly that cleavage was not
resorted to in facilitating the reduction of the stone. We quote: “Had
the Sieur Hortensio been well acquainted with his profession he might
have obtained from this great stone some good pieces without doing
any injury to the King, and without having taken so much trouble in
grinding it away; but he was not a very skilful diamond-cutter.” This
statement establishes the fact that the secret of reducing diamonds by
cleavage was known at that time.
Fifteen years after the discovery Tavernier saw the gem in the hands
of Aurungzeb, who was then Mogul, Shah Jehan having been deposed and
placed in confinement. The distinguished traveller was allowed to
examine the gem, weigh it, and make a drawing of it. It was then of
the form of half an egg, and very high-crowned, and had been cut with
many facets, quite regularly arranged over its superior surfaces. It
was also of fine water, and disfigured by only one crack on its lower
border, and a little flaw in the interior.
The French traveller gives an account of the ceremony of his
examination as conducted with great precision and the utmost solemnity,
as though the gems were the crystallizations or the embodiments of
departed spirits. The gems were brought in upon two lacquered trays
covered with brocade, and were counted over thrice, and three lists
made of them by different scribes. This process was not particularly
flattering to the pride of the guest, but it serves to illustrate or
establish the fact that the Hindoo character for deception and theft
was quite as marked then as now.
Since this period no further mention has been made of the gem by
any authentic writer; but it is supposed to have formed a part of
the plunder of Delhi, when Nadir Shah captured all the treasures
accumulated during four hundred years of prosperity, and which were
valued at from $150,000,000 to $350,000,000.
The next largest diamond shown to Tavernier was one of only 54¹⁄₂
karats, and all the rest were much inferior. Hence it is surmised that
the Koh-i-noor, the Shah, and the Daria-i-noor were then unknown, and
were discovered at a later period. But it is stated that the former
Mogul, who was still in confinement, retained many of the gems of
his own collecting, and that they may have been among them. Or they
may have been in possession of Mirgimola. At all events, the Mogul
disappeared with the last Tatar invasion; and new paragons, like the
Koh-i-noor, became known to the world. After the assassination of Nadir
Shah his treasures were scattered among many chieftains, and all record
of many of them has been lost.
The fate of the Mogul is shrouded in mystery. The famous gem preserved
in the Persian treasury and called Daria-i-noor, “the ocean of lustre,”
which Forbes saw and described, is not the lost stone. By some it is
believed to be hidden away in some obscure fortress, to appear at
some future day when the possessor may display his hidden treasure in
safety. This view is certainly warranted by the discovery of the large
flat diamond of one hundred and thirty karats among the jewels taken
from the harem of Reeza Kooli at the capture of Coocha by the Persian
army in 1832. Also the finding of the celebrated crown of Chosroes by
Abbas in the treasury of one of the Princes in the Lauristan Mountains
near the Persian Gulf, where it had lain concealed for a thousand years.
Were it not for the general accuracy and truthfulness of Tavernier,
and the drawing he has left of the diamond, we might claim the Orloff
as the missing Mogul. Certainly the resemblance in form is very
remarkable; and the location of the flaws, with the rare circumstance
of shape, are facts very strongly in favor of the Orloff. The question
now arises, did Tavernier make an error in his weight and draw the
outlines carelessly or from memory? We have seen how confused history
has become regarding the identity of the Sancy diamond.
The real Koh-i-noor of Hindoo history is probably the great Mogul
or the Orloff; and the name would be appropriately applied to the
dome-like shape of both of the stones, with their flashing beams of
light, rather than to the flattened form of the English stone now
called the Koh-i-noor, and which exhibited but little lustre. It
is highly probable that the diamond of Runjeet Sing, the English
Koh-i-noor, was one of the magnificent diamonds surrendered to Nadir
Shah by Mohammed Shah at the sack of Delhi in 1739, but there is no
positive proof of his obtaining the great heirloom of the descendants
of Aurungzeb.
In reviewing the history of the Great Mogul gems, from the time of
Tavernier down to the present day, we are inclined to regard the term
Koh-i-noor, or “mountain of light,” as a misnomer, and that the gem
received this distinction only after its arrival at Kabul, or came
into the possession of Runjeet Sing; neither have we any evidence to
prove that the Koh-i-noor was the Great Mogul; for that appellation is
not given to it by the early writers. But it is not probable that the
term, so superlative of excellence and superiority, would be applied
to an inferior gem, while the great diamond of the Mogul, weighing two
hundred and eighty karats, was in existence.
The history of all these great diamonds is very obscure; and as the
value of the Indian weights and measures varies so much at different
places and at different times, it is quite impossible to follow with
precision the fragments of history that relate to them.
Several accounts have been given of the manner in which the Koh-i-noor
fell into the clutches of Runjeet; but that of Dr. Wilson, as published
in the official catalogue of the great Exhibition at London, is
probably correct. It is as follows:--
“When Shah Soujah was driven from Kabul, he became the nominal guest
and actual prisoner of Runjeet Sing, who spared neither opportunity
nor menace until, in 1813, he compelled the fugitive monarch to resign
the precious gem, presenting him on the occasion, it is said, with a
lakh of rupees, or about £12,000 sterling.
“According to Shah Soujah’s own account, however, he assigned to
him the revenues of three villages, not one rupee of which he ever
realized. Runjeet was highly elated by the acquisition of the diamond,
and wore it as an armlet at all public festivals.
“When he was dying, an attempt was made by persons about him to
persuade him to make the diamond a present to Juggernaut; and it is
said he intimated by an inclination of the head his assent. The
treasurer, however, in whose charge it was, refused to give it up
without some better warrant; and Runjeet dying before a written order
could be signed by him, the Koh-i-noor was preserved for a while
for his successors. It was occasionally worn by Khurruk Sing and
Shir Sing. After the murder of the latter it remained in the Lahore
Treasury until the supersession of Dhulip Sing and the annexation of
the Punjaub by the British Government, when the civil authorities took
possession of the Lahore Treasury, under the stipulation previously
made, that all the property of the State should be confiscated to the
East India Company, in part payment of the debt due by the Lahore
Government, and of the expenses of the war. It was at the same time
stipulated that the Koh-i-noor should be surrendered to the Queen of
England.
“The diamond was conveyed to Bombay by Governor General the Earl of
Dalhousie, whom ill health had compelled to repair to the coast, and
was then given in charge to Lieutenant-Colonel Mackeson, C. B., and
Captain T. Ramsay, the Military Secretary to the Governor General,
to take to England. These officers embarked on board Her Majesty’s
steamship ‘Medea,’ and left Bombay on the 6th of April, 1850. They
arrived at Portsmouth on the 30th of June; and two days afterwards
relinquished their charge to the Chairman and Deputy-chairman of the
Court of Directors, by whom, in company with the President of the
Board of Control, the Koh-i-noor was delivered to her Majesty on
the 3d of July,--an appropriate and honorable close to its eventful
career.”
We are led to infer from the accounts of history that some of the
Indian rulers collected enormous quantities of the precious stones.
It is stated that Mahmoud, in his campaign in India about the eleventh
century, captured the temple Bheen, which, according to Ferishta,
contained a greater quantity of precious stones and pearls “than was
ever collected in the royal treasury of any prince on earth.” They were
carried off to Ghizna.
In another campaign the idol at Sumnat, fifteen feet high, was
captured, which being broken open yielded great quantities of rubies,
diamonds, and pearls which had been concealed in it. These were
carried to Ghizna. Ferishta says Ala-ud-deen obtained from the Raja of
Mahrattas fifty pounds of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires,
and also one hundred and seventy-five pounds of pearls.
In the middle of the sixteenth century Acber of India gave a splendid
banquet in honor of his birthday; and, if the reports concerning it are
correct, it was one of the most magnificent entertainments ever given
on the earth. Acres of land were covered with silken and flaxen tents,
and the horses and elephants were bespangled with gold and gems. The
tents of the Nabob were not only exquisitely made and adorned, but even
the carpets which covered the earth were richly embroidered with gold,
pearls, and precious stones. In describing the beauty and magnificence
of the Hindoo nobles, the historian states that they were adorned with
diamonds that “sparkled like the firmament.”
Shah Jehan, the greatest of Mogul sovereigns since Timour, collected
the wealth of India around him, and lavished it in a manner that reads
more like a chapter in the “Arabian Nights” than a page of historic
reality. At his death the treasury contained $150,000,000; and his
palace, with its embellishments and ornaments, was the most beautiful
the world has ever seen. The Peacock Throne was valued at $30,000,000,
and his crown at $12,000,000. The diadem had twelve points, each tipped
with a diamond of large size and the purest water. In the centre was
embedded a huge pearl, and the rest of the crown was a glittering mass
of rubies, diamonds, and other gems.
The dress of the Emperor was in keeping with his extravagance: around
his neck he wore three strings of immense pearls; his arms were covered
with armlets of diamonds and bracelets of other gems; his sword and
buckler were incrusted with diamonds and rubies; and his sceptre was
entwined with a chain of pearls, rubies, and diamonds. Besides his
crown, he had a rich turban plumed with long heron feathers; on one
side was a huge ruby, on the other a diamond, while an immense emerald
decorated the front.
The famous Peacock Throne of Indian history is no myth; for Tavernier
examined it with care, and has left a description of it so clear, that
its reality and its value are matters of fact. It was so called from
the figures of two peacocks with expanded tails standing behind it as
large as life. These figures were constructed of gold and precious
stones of all varieties, and so arranged as to represent the natural
colors of the birds. The beautiful hues of the feathers were closely
imitated by the arrangement of fine rubies, diamonds, sapphires,
emeralds, and other gems.
The throne was six feet long and four feet wide, and was constructed
of solid gold, inlaid with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. Steps of
silver were placed in front of it; while a canopy of gold, fringed with
pearls, supported by twelve pillars emblazoned with flashing gems,
surmounted the whole. Between the peacocks stood a representation of
the parrot, carved from emerald or some green stone. On each side of
the throne was placed one of the sacred umbrellas, called chattars,
made of richly embroidered crimson velvet fringed with pearls. Their
handles were of solid gold, about eight feet long, and studded with
diamonds. This was the most costly and superb work of art of its kind
ever invented.
Its rival was the Cerulean Throne of the House of Bhamenee in the
Nizam. It was constructed in the seventeenth century, and, according to
the description of Ferishta, the Persian historian, was nine feet long
by three feet wide, made of ebony, covered with plates of gold, and
incrusted with gems. Its value was estimated at quite twenty millions
of dollars. At the sack of Delhi, the Peacock Throne, with many other
priceless relics, fell into the hands of Nadir Shah and his ravenous
followers, and was carried off by them, and broken up.
We may form an idea of the magnificent costumes worn by the Eastern
monarchs, from the description given by Mr. Elphinstone, the British
envoy to the King of Kabul, in 1808. At the reception given to the
embassy, the king was literally covered with gems. At first sight, he
appeared to be clothed with an armor composed of jewels; but, on close
inspection, his dress was found to consist of a green tunic covered
with large flowers in gold and precious stones. Over these a large
breastplate of diamonds shaped like two flattened _fleurs de lis_ was
worn. Upon each thigh, ornaments fashioned after the same manner were
placed; while large emerald bracelets appeared on the arms, and many
other jewels were adjusted to different parts of the body. In one
of these bracelets flashed the Koh-i-noor, then regarded as one of
the largest diamonds in the world. Over the chest were arranged some
strings of very large pearls, like loose cross-belts. The crown was
about nine inches high, and formed entirely of precious stones, like
the wonderful plumes of Prince Esterhazy. It seemed to be radiated,
like the ancient crowns; and behind the rays appeared peaks of purple
velvet. Several small branches with pendants apparently projected from
the crown; but the ornament was so complicated and so dazzling, that it
was difficult for the spectators to understand it, and quite impossible
to describe it.
Other famous diamonds besides the Mogul are missing; and modern history
is unable to account for them. What has become of the splendid flat
diamond weighing two hundred and forty-two karats, which Tavernier
examined in Golconda; or the immense Agrah of six hundred and
forty-five karats, in the rough, which the same traveller saw in India?
Were they also gathered by the followers of Nadir, and divided in the
spoliation of the property of the conqueror? We know that Persia,
enriched by the last conquest of India, is immensely rich in precious
stones of all descriptions; but the number, the character, and the
value of them, are as shadowy as those of Turkey. However, we have a
ray of intelligence from Bernier, who hastily estimated the value of
the Persian jewels at thirteen and one half milliards of francs.
This prodigious estimate has been strengthened by the gorgeous
appearance of the last Persian ambassador to France. The costume of
this Emir fairly blazed with the brilliancy of the most costly gems,
and recalled the departed glory of the last Prince of Esterhazy. The
presents sent at the same time by the Sultan to the Empress Eugenie
were most magnificent, especially the diamond bracelets, and were
glorious emblems of Oriental favor.
Among the diamonds possessed by the Persian Crown, besides the
Daria-i-noor, which is said to weigh two hundred and thirty-two karats,
we have information of three others of remarkable size and beauty.
They are named the Taj-Mah, or Crown of the Moon, of one hundred and
forty-six karats; the Sea of Glory, of sixty-six karats; and the
Mountain of Splendor, of one hundred and thirty-five karats, valued at
$729,000.
Dr. Beke, at the meeting of the British Association, in 1851, read a
paper on a new diamond that had lately come into the possession of
Persia. He referred to the diamond slab of one hundred and thirty
karats that had been captured at Coocha, in 1832, and which he thought
might have been a part of the Koh-i-noor when in its natural state.
The only account of its history the Persians could obtain, was the
statement that it was found in the possession of a poor man, a native
of Khorasan, who used it for the purpose of lighting his fires, by
striking it against steel [the mineral does not possess the property],
and that it had thereby sustained some damage. The gem was presented by
Abbas Murza to his father, Futteh Ali Shah, and is presumed to be now
among the crown jewels of Persia.
One of the latest accounts of the Persian treasures is given by Mr.
Eastwick, who was permitted to examine them. He found them placed in
a small, strongly built room, to which access was had by means of a
narrow, steep stairway and very small door. In this apartment, spread
out upon thick, velvety carpets, were displayed gems and jewels of the
value of $35,000,000. Conspicuous among them was the Kaianian crown,
which was shaped like a flower-pot, and topped by an immense uncut
ruby as big as a hen’s egg, which is supposed to have come from Siam.
Beside this tiara were spread two lambskins covered with beautiful
aigrettes of diamonds; and before them lay trays of pearl, ruby, and
emerald necklaces, with countless rings. The famous Kaianian belt was
also an object of wonder. This relic of barbaric splendor weighs about
twenty pounds. It is nearly a foot in depth, and is incrusted massively
with splendid diamonds, pearls, rubies, and emeralds.
The exhibition of arms was worthy of the Oriental taste for martial
decoration, and recalled to memory the ancient fondness for such
things, and the sword and scabbard of Mithridates, which has been
mentioned in history as being of enormous value. Some of these, now
belonging to the Persian Shah, are magnificently decorated with gold
and gems, to the value of more than a quarter of a million of dollars.
The arms of defence of the Oriental nations have been noted from the
earliest times for the beauty and splendor of their decorations, in
which lavish use has been made of the finest diamonds, emeralds,
rubies, and other precious stones, set in a variety of metals. The
excellence of these precious productions was made known to the nations
of the Mediterranean by means of commercial caravans long before the
invasions of Xerxes or Alexander; and some of them are objects of
admiration to the skilled artisans of the present day.
In Lahore, Benares, and Lucknow are yet preserved the secrets of the
gold workers of Assyria and ancient Phœnicia, which have long been
forgotten in the countries where they were invented. The enamels of
these artisans, especially the green, red, blue, and turquoise hues,
are not surpassed in beauty of tint by the finest enamels of Paris.
As Persia is the home of the turquoise, the traveller would expect
to see the finest representative of the mineral species in this
collection. And he will not be disappointed, for the specimen of
turquoise treasured here above all others is of a magnificent color,
from three to four inches long, and without a flaw. Its value is not
given; but we may draw an inference from Shylock’s turquoise, which was
worth “a wilderness of monkeys.”
Besides the above enumerated articles the treasury contains numberless
objects of value not described, and among them piles of gauntlets and
belts, massive with pearls and diamonds.
The present ruler of Persia, Nasiru’d-din, during his late visit to
Europe, displayed upon his person many of the chief treasures of his
crown. They were not, however, exhibited to advantage, for his costume
was an incongruous mixture of the amplitude of nomadic ideas with the
close-fitting symmetry of the French tailor. The ridiculous figure of
the Shah, surmounted by the ancient lofty Persian hat, heightened in
comicality by a pair of gold-bowed spectacles, presented a picture
that detracted from the splendor of the gems which he wore. His coat,
which was made after the style of the Parisian frock, was plaited over
the hips and adorned with extraordinary gems. From waist to shoulder,
arranged in _echelon_, were placed five enormous diamonds, each said
to be larger than the English Koh-i-noor. The collar and sleeves of
this garment were also fairly incrusted by brilliants of great beauty;
while over his breast hung his various insignia and orders set with the
finest of gems. His sword-belt and sheath were formed of gold, studded
with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds; while his golden spurs were formed
of diamonds of such perfection as to flash like sunbeams as he walked
along.
Many fine diamonds are undoubtedly to be found among the nabobs and
princes of India. And their concealment may have been advised by the
lessons of the past. Fears of English rapacity may have caused the
fracture of the famous Nizam diamond, or a report to that effect. This
beautiful gem, which is said to have weighed three hundred and forty
karats, belonged to the King of Golconda, and is said to have been
broken at the commencement of the last Indian revolt.
In 1807 a fine diamond of seventy-seven karats was obtained by the
Ranee Ruthen from the bed of the river Sumbhulpore; and in 1809 a fine
gem of one hundred and sixty-eight karats was found in the sands of the
river Mahamuddee.
The King of Ava possesses many diamonds, but of unknown value. Colonel
Symes saw, in his visit of 1795, many rude ornaments of remarkable
splendor and value. One of the state carriages fairly blazed with its
decorations of burnished gold, covered with diamonds and other gems.
The Sultan of Mattan in Borneo is said to possess a remarkable diamond;
but there is some doubt as to its authenticity, like its great rival,
that of the King of Portugal. But Mr. Hugh Low, Colonial Secretary
of the Island, declares in his work on Sarawak and its productions,
published in 1848, that the gem of the Sultans is a real diamond,
and of the great weight of three hundred and sixty-seven karats. It
was, at that time, in the rough state, and its shape was that of an
egg indented on one side. Its value was estimated by Mr. Crawford
to be £269,378. Sir Stamford Raffles relates that the stone has
remained as an heirloom in the royal family for four descents, and
is almost the only appendage of royalty now remaining. The Governor
of Batavia, desirous of obtaining the gem, is said to have sent Mr.
Stewart to Borneo to negotiate for it. But although the tempting offer
of $150,000, with two brigs of war with their guns and ammunition,
was made to the Sultan, he refused to deprive his family of the rich
inheritance which was supposed to be in the possession of the diamond.
In the time of Sir Stamford Raffles few courts in Europe could boast of
a more brilliant display of diamonds than was exhibited by the ladies
of Batavia in the prosperous days of Dutch commerce, when the trade of
India and Eastern Asia was to a very great extent in the control of
Holland.
We cannot properly close this chapter on the gems of Asia without
making a brief allusion to that master-piece of architecture, the Taj
Mahal, the palace-tomb, which Shah Jehan erected at Agra in memory
of his beautiful and beloved wife. The Mogul Emperor promised the
dying Empress the most beautiful tomb the world had ever seen; and he
kept his promise. Even to-day, after so many centuries of neglect and
pillage, the fairy-like structure rises to the view more like one of
the dreams of the “Arabian Nights” than a material edifice constructed
by human hands.
In its construction the wealth of India was placed at the service
of its architects, and thousands of laborers were employed for many
years. The chief architect was a Frenchman, M. de Bordeaux, who also
designed the famous Peacock Throne at Delhi. Enormous quantities of
precious and semi-precious stones of all descriptions were used in its
ornamentation, and inlaid in its walls, its columns, and ornaments. The
images were masses of glittering gems, and some of the mosaics were
marvels of beauty and human skill.
In a curious manuscript, still preserved, is given an account of the
gems, jewels, etc., and their value, used in the construction. All
parts of Asia were searched for the richest gems,--Thibet for its
turquoises, Ceylon for its lapis lazuli, Persia for its amethysts,
Lunka for its sapphires, and Pannah for its diamonds. The famous Hindoo
temple of Sumnat was, in the days of its perfection, one of the most
renowned of all the shrines of India, and must have been a structure of
wonderful richness, when its fifty-six pillars, incrusted and inlaid
with multitudes of precious stones, sparkled in the morning light. Even
at the present day its ruins, though despoiled of their ornaments, are
very beautiful and impressive.