A CHAPTER ON DlAM01<ri)^ 



35 



George emblazoned in her vest. It does not appear tliat there 

 were a,ny diamonds in the crown regalia of Hnngary, and which 

 used to be watched by two keepers, night and day, till forcibly 

 rem.oved by the over-zealous patriots of the last insurrection. The 

 crown of St. Stephen was of pure gold, and weighed fourteen 

 pounds. It was decorated with hfty-three sapphires, fifty rubies, 

 one emerald, and three hundred and thirty-eight pearls. 



The profusion of diamonds at oriental courts is well known. — 

 The general and ambassador from Xepaul, and his brothei's, have 

 been lately astonishing the Londoners with their displays of 

 precious stones. In Persia and in Turkey, all military and civil 

 decorations abound in diamonds. A snuif-box, for an acceptable 

 present, must be set with the same costly gems. The court of 

 Kussia still retains, likewise, many traces of Asiatic pomp, blen- 

 ded with European refinement. Coxe, in his travels, says, "Amid 

 the sumptuous articles which distinguish the Russian nobility none 

 perhaps, is more calculated to strike a foreigner than the profusion 

 of diamonds and other precious stones which sparkle in every 

 part of the dress. In most other European countries these costly 

 ornaments are principally appropriated to the ladies ; but, here 

 the men vie with the fair sex in the use of them. Many of the 

 nobility v/ere almost covered with diamonds ; their buttons, buck- 

 les, hilts of swords and epaulets were set with diamonds ; their 

 hats were frequently embroidered, if I may use the expi-ession, 

 with several rows, and a diamond star on the coat was scarcely a 

 distinction." 



At the drawing-rooms held by Queen Victoria, the same pre- 

 cious stone is often displayed in no small profusion, and some 

 ladies might on such occasions be almost said, in the language of 

 the poet, to be " walled about with diamonds." Yet diamonds 

 are costly things when small, as well as large. The Dowager 

 Queen of Spain had a necklace and ear-rings reset in France, com- 

 posed entirely of brilliants, which cost half a million of francs. 

 Doubtless, at routs and assemblies many figure away in factitious 

 show. 



Faux brilliants J ct viorceaux de verre^ 



as Boileau has it, but real diamonds can seldom be mistaken ; 

 there is a sparkling lustre and a luminous brilliancy, which so far 

 transcends all other gems, that those who have once seen will easily 



