Diamonds and precious stones, a popular account of gems .. . bt due by theLahore government, and of the expenses of thewar; it was at the same time stipulated that theKoh-i-noor should be presented to the Queen ofEngland. Such is the strange history of certainlyone of the most extraordinary diamonds in theworld. After the Company became possessed ofthe gem it was taken in charge by Lord Dalhousie,and sent by him to England in custody of twoofficers. When the Koh-i-noor was brought to Englandit weighed iS6^ carats, and had the form shownin Fig. 40. It was exhibited in this state at theGreat Exh
Diamonds and precious stones, a popular account of gems .. . bt due by theLahore government, and of the expenses of thewar; it was at the same time stipulated that theKoh-i-noor should be presented to the Queen ofEngland. Such is the strange history of certainlyone of the most extraordinary diamonds in theworld. After the Company became possessed ofthe gem it was taken in charge by Lord Dalhousie,and sent by him to England in custody of twoofficers. When the Koh-i-noor was brought to Englandit weighed iS6^ carats, and had the form shownin Fig. 40. It was exhibited in this state at theGreat Exhibition of 1851, and was valued at about$700,000. At that time it was merely surface cut, and was also disfigured with several flaws, so that 7 98 PRECIOUS STONES. re-Gutting seemed advisable ; and it was decided togive it the form of the briUiant. The cutting wasbegun on July i6, 1852—the Duke of Wellingtonbeing the first person to place it on the cuttingmill—and was finished Sept. 7, thus occupying inall thirty-eight days of twelve hours each. It had. Fig. 41.—The Koh-i-noor after being re-cut now the form represented in Fig. 41, its weightbeing reduced to I22J^ carats. In cutting it someparts were found to be very much harder thanothers. Though so much reduced in weight bythis operation the Koh-i-noor has been much im-proved in brilliancy and effect. Besides the Koh-i-noor, and a great number of CELEBRATED DIAMONDS. 99 fine pearls, the crown of Queen Victoria contains497 diamonds, of which the value is estimated atmore than $372,000.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectgems, booksubjectprec
