of England, who took it with him when he fled to France in 1688, and afterwards, when he was in distress for money, parted with it to Louis XIV. for 25,000/-and Louis XV. is said to have worn it in the clasp of his hat at his coronation. It vanished in 1792, but reappeared in the Napoleon era, and was sold for 500,000 silver rubles to the Emperor of Russia, in whose possession it still remains.

The "Nassack" diamond was captured during the Mahratta war in India, in the Peishwa's baggage, by the' combined armies under the Marquis of Hastings; and, after changing hands several times, was purchased, about twenty years ago, by the Marquis of Westminster.

It was afterwards partly re-cut by Hunt and Roskell, and is now a beautiful colourless stone, weighing 785 carats. It is of a triangular or pear shape.

Many other large diamonds might be mentioned, each of which has a history, but perhaps the most interesting of all, is our own great diamond, the celebrated Koh-i-noor; the story of which would make a very fair true romance of three goodly volumes.

Its origin is older than any historical records reveal, but it can be traced as far back as the beginning of the fourteenth century, when it came into the treasury of Delhi; and from this time it became intimately associated with the entire history of the Indian

Shape of the "Koh-i-noor" as exhibited in Upper Surface in its present state. the Crystal Palace in 1851.

wars and dynasties, until, on the late annexation of the Punjab, it was taken possession of by our government, brought to England in 1850, and presented to the Queen. It was shown at the international Exhibition of 1851, in the state it was received, weighing 186 carats; but it was so badly cut that its brilliancy scarcely exceeded that of a piece of crystal, and it had several flaws and defects in its structure. The Queen,

Under Surface.

after taking advice from competent judges, decided to have it recut; which was done in London (by workmen expressly brought over from Amsterdam for the purpose) in 1852. It has now the form of a regular brilliant; and, though its weight has been reduced to 1021 carats, it has become, what it never was before, a most splendid jewel, worthy of its royal mistress, whose unsullied diadem may it long adorn! 1

1 The illustrations to this reprint of the paper have been kindly supplied by Professor Tennant.

POSTSCRIPT.

SINCE writing the above, I have had the opportunity of inspecting, along with Professor Tennant, a very beautiful diamond of extraordinary size, lately found in the Brazils, and in the possession of Mr. Dresden. The following cuts show its size and shape;-it weighs 76 carats, nearly as heavy as the Nassack diamond, and is decidedly one of the finest and purest in colour known.

April, 1861.

A DESCRIPTION OF

THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN,

PRESERVED IN THE JEWEL HOUSE AT THE TOWER OF LONDON.

BY PROFESSOR TENNANT, OF KING'S COLLEGE.

[Read before the London and Middlesex Archæological Society, July 7, 1858.]

THE Imperial State Crown of Her Majesty Queen Victoria was made by Messrs. Rundell and Bridge in the year 1838, with jewels taken from old Crowns, and others furnished by command of Her Majesty. It consists of diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, set in silver and gold; it has a crimson velvet cap with ermine border, and is lined with white silk. Its gross weight is 39 oz. 5 dwts. Troy. The lower part of the band, above the ermine border, consists of a row of one hundred and twenty-nine pearls, and the upper part of the band a row of one hundred and twelve pearls, between which, in front of the Crown, is a large sapphire (partly drilled), purchased for the Crown by His Majesty King George the Fourth. At the back is a sapphire of smaller size, and six other sapphires (three on each side), between which are eight emeralds.

Above and below the seven sapphires are fourteen diamonds, and around the eight emeralds one hundred and twenty-eight diamonds. Between the emeralds and sapphires are sixteen trefoil ornaments, containing one hundred and sixty diamonds. Above the band are eight sapphires surmounted by eight diamonds, between which are eight festoons consisting of one hundred and forty-eight diamonds.

In the front of the Crown, and in the centre of a diamond Maltese cross, is the famous ruby said to have been given to Edward Prince of Wales, son of Edward the Third, called the Black Prince, by Don Pedro, King of Castile, after the battle of Najera, near Vittoria, A. D. 1367. This ruby was worn in the helmet of Henry the Fifth at the battle of Agincourt, A.D. 1415. It is pierced quite through after the Eastern custom, the upper part of the piercing being filled up by a small ruby. Around this ruby, to form the cross, are seventy-five brilliant diamonds.

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16

The Imperial Crown of England.

Three other Maltese crosses, forming the two sides and back of the Crown, have emerald centres, and contain respectively one hundred and thirty-two, one hundred and twenty-four, and one hundred and thirty brilliant diamonds.

Between the four Maltese crosses are four ornaments in the form of the French fleur-de-lis, with four rubies in the centres, and surrounded by rose diamonds, containing respectively eightyfive, eighty-six, eighty-six, and eighty-seven rose diamonds.

From the Maltese crosses issue four imperial arches composed of oak leaves and acorns; the leaves containing seven hundred and twenty-eight rose, table, and brilliant diamonds; thirty-two pearls forming the acorns, set in cups containing fifty-four rose diamonds and one table diamond. The total number of diamonds in the arches and acorns is one hundred and eight brilliant, one hundred and sixteen table, and five hundred and fifty-nine rose diamonds.

From the upper part of the arches are suspended four large pendant pear-shaped pearls, with rose diamond caps, containing twelve rose diamonds, and stems containing twenty-four very small rose diamonds. Above the arch stands the mound, containing in the lower hemisphere three hundred and four brilliants, and in the upper two hundred and forty-four brilliants; the zone and are being composed of thirty-three rose diamonds. The cross on the summit has a rose-cut sapphire in the centre, surrounded by four large brilliants, and one hundred and eight smaller brilliants.