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British Grown Jewels the Most Valuable in the World

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British Grown Jewels the Most Valuable in the World British Grown Jewels the Most Valuable in the <$> World mieir Worth Is Even At the Mercy of Beyond Expert Thieves Till Recent Estimate Years THE British crown jewels form land as the greatest and most valu- a loyal tribute to Queen Vic. able of all royal collections toria from the Indian army. It is of jewels. Among them are believed that after its firsf the Black Prince's ruby, the Koh-i- cutting the Koh-i-Noor weighed 1,000 of carats, but it has Noor bloody history, the sapphire been reduced by a of Edward the Confessor, the Stuart series of cuttings to 106 1-6 carats. sapphire, the Stars of Africa and the Queen Victoria wore it as a brooch, pearls of Queen Elizabeth. Their but Queen Mary has it in front her of value cannot even be estimated. The state crown. The Koh-i-Noor is to Stars of Africa alone have been supposed bring bad luck to any valued at S7.500.000. ' man who wears it, but to be harm- less for a woman. And yet it was not until the time It was valued at of $700,000 when presented to Edward VII that the British Victoria. Queen crown jewels were in any way ade¬ quately guarded. For a thousand The Stars of Africa were at years they the mercy of the The four Stars of Africa were cut petty thefts of minor retainers. A from the great Cullinan diamond, typical «example of this is what was which weighed about l'i pounds supposed for a couple of centuries to when it was found in the bo a Premier magnificent aquamarine which Mine near Pretoria in 1904. It was had first as figured surmounting the insured for $7,500,000, but no pur- crown of James II. But when it chaser could be found for such « came to be examined critically a few huge block, and the Union govern¬ years ago it was found that the orig¬ ment of South Africa bought it for inal jewel had been stolen and -re¬ $750,000 to present it to King Ed¬ placed by a ball of colored glass. ward VII as an emblem of the entry Yet, despite the many of South Africa into petty depreda¬ JEWEL HOUSE the British Em¬ tions, only one concerted attempt at CpHE¦*¦ by pire. robbery on the scale has THE KING'S STATE the Martin Tower in 1815 grand been 1 CROWN. Reproduced by It looked like a block of rock salt made on them. permission of Messrs. Cos- s>_......_ when it arrived in England, and the «Sold Under the Commonwealth sell & Co., from a THE QUEEN'S STATE experts said it would be Impossible painting 1 to cut a stone of its size and This was the by Cyril Davenport. CROWN, Reproduced by shape famous attempt of Messrs. into one brilliant. They recommend. Colonel Blood to (Copyright) permission of Cos- steal the state sell & Co. Front a painting ed that it should be broken up inte crown of Charles II. Major General searched it would have been found by Cyril Davenport four parts, and the work was don« Sir j by the Costers, of Amsterdam. George Younghusband, the pres¬ that under their cloaks they were (Copyright) Th« ent of the Jewel de¬ armed with swords, and largest portion was cut Into a pear- Keeper House, daggers pis¬ shaped brilliant and set in the tols, while one of them a British crown jewels is the Koh-i- head scribes this exploit In his book, The had wooden of the The mallet. Mr. Edwards went down to Noor, which is^in Queen Mary's state King's scepter. next larg. Jewel House, the Dorar est was cut into a published by receive his and Blood crown. The name means mountain portion cushion- Under guests, sug¬ brilliant and set in Company. the Common gested that before going the .of light. It was found in the dia- shaped the banc upstairs of the state crown. wealth the crown jewels had been de visitors should see the crown mond fields of Golconda in southern King's Th< jewels. other two portions are in the stroyed or order of Par¬ Leaving one man at the door as a India, and was first heard of in the banc dispersed by and the cross of lookout, the other three went possession of the of Golconda. Queen Mary's stat< liament, and, with few exceptions into King crown. the jewel room with The Emperor Shah who was they were sold for ridiculous sums Edwards, who Jehan, unlocked the doors of the at that time the Great of The largest portion weighs 516^ The exceptions were one or tw< jewel cup¬ Mogul board. The man with the mallet Delhi, got it by a combination of carats, and the four portions to pieces that were accidentally over 986 promptly knocked Edwards on the bribery and theft. It was first seen gether weigh carats. Thus, ii looked in the general dispersal, bu cutting, the stone that the net head and the second man gagged by a European in 1665, when in the rough weighec result was that Charles I 3,025 carats lost more than two came to him, while Blood proceeded to rifle possession of Emperor Aurungzebe the throne under the Res the at Delhi. thirds of its weight in being reduce< toration with the of cupboard. necessity supply¬ Blood had to four brilliants, but the value o ing himself with a ful decided on his many Rad Luck Followed It the four practically previous visits which brilliants is estimated to b« equipment of the crowns, regalia ani pieces of the In 1739 Nadir the same as that of regalia would be at the Shah, King of Per¬ the origina jewels required by a king. same time rough stone. the most portable and the most val¬ sia, invaded the Punjab and cap¬ The first order for new crown tured Delhi. and uable. He seized the state crown Mahmood Shah, the Now Well Guarded jewels amounted to $1,500,00( and knocked in the Great figured in terms of at arches and Mogul of the moment, hid the The present abode of the crow money presen smashed in the sides with the mallet values, and, of course, there wer Koh-i-Noor in the folds of his turban jewels is the Wakefield Tower ii that had been used on additions from time to time. Bu already Ed¬ and Nadir Shah had to make love to the Tower of London. It adjoins th wards, thereby putting the crown in Charles II took no especial precat all Mahmood Shah's wives before he Bloody Tower and faces the Traitor; a convenient form to hide under his Gate. The walls of the Wakefiel tions. As was the fashion with hi cloak. The Black could discover the secret of the hid¬ he Prince's ruby and Tower are more than eight fe< predecessors, appointed a Keepe several diamonds and ing place. But, having learned of the Jewel who other stones where thick. There is one entrañe House, lived in th were knocked out of the great diamond was kept, only the crown in this and .the windows are harrei Royal.Palace at Whitehall and ha process, but the Nadir Shah gave a great banquet at heavily many valuable thieves gathered which Under instructions from E«- prerogatives and pel them up and them he swore eternal friendship King but put in their pock¬ ward VII a famous firm of buildei quisite3, the jewels were lodge ets. The orb and the for Mahmood Shah and insisted on in the Martin of scepter wíre of safes was called in and coi Tower the Towe the other two to solemnly sealing the oath by trading they of pieces be taken. structed to hold the crown London, guarded by Talbot E< One of the band the turbans. In the brief space of time jewel an put orb in the BLOOD, who and regalia an steel cas«- wards, aged gentleman of sevei slack of his "while ^COLONEL to steal required for the exchange, Mahmood octagonal ty-seven years. breeches, the third attempted the Shah's hair ment with steel bars. It .stands i set to work to file the of the crown jewels in the turned from black to There was grip reign of white. the center of the tower with an ope only one door to tl scepter in two, as it was too to Charles II Martin Tower and no long Nadir Shah went space between it, and the walls o window on tl conceal if carried in one piece. back to Persia lower floor. The jewels and and was murdered an of all sides, and is approached by regal Edwards had a son who had been great Later in the for by Afghan were kept in a with barr< antiquity. year the next 164 years, until it was his named Ahmed narrow flight of stone stairs. Th cupboard, serving in the army in Flanders. he gave it to Edward the Black- sold bodyguard Shah, doors let into the wall of an interi« by the Puritans to an unre¬ who took the Koh-i-Noor to experts who built the casement bi That morning the son landed in Prince for him win the bat¬ Afghan¬ room on the ground floor, and tl Eng¬ helping corded purchaser and afterward by istan and .founded the Durani lieved that any thief who tries t land and at once got leave to visit tle of Xajera.
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