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The Jagersfontein: Russian

In every respect the Orloff is the most remarkable of the great Russian diamonds. It forms the chief ornament in the Imperial sceptre. From this circumstance it is sometimes called the "Sceptre" diamond. Its position is immediately beneath the golden eagle, which surmounts the symbol of regal power. It is also occasionally spoken of as the "Amsterdam," from the place where it was purchased for the Russian crown, under circumstances which will be hereafter detailed. In size, it ranks first amongst European gems; in beauty it yields only to the "Regent," while for romantic interest it rivals the "Koh-i-Nur" itself. Its early history is involved in great obscurity, and seems to have got somehow in-extricably involved in that of the "Moon of Mountains," another great diamond in the Russian regalia. The "Moon of Mountains," however, reached Europe through Persia, whereas, there can be little doubt that the "Orloff" found its way direct from India to Holland and thence to Russia. In all current accounts of its original discovery, however, the circumstances are related in such a confused way, that it has hitherto been impossible to fix its first definite appearance. The date of its arrival in Europe, and of its purchase by Prince Orloff for the Empress Catherine II., are demonstrated by the subjoined passage from a letter dated January 2nd, 1776, from the Hague, and quoted by Boyle in the Museum Britannicum (London, 1791):--"We learn from Amsterdam that Prince Orlow made but one day's stay in that city, where he bought a very large brilliant for the Empress, his sovereign, for which he paid to a Persian merchant there the sum of 1,400,000 florins, Dutch money. A florin in Holland is valued at 20d." Dutens, writing about this time, tells us that "this diamond was said to have formed one of the eyes of the famous statue of Scheringam in the Temple of Brama." These words--"un des yeux de la fameuse statue de Scheringam dans le Temple de Brama," have been copied, with the usual variations by subsequent writers, who have seldom asked themselves what this "famous statue of Scheringam" could be, or where "the Temple of Brama," was situated, which contained it. The word in Kluge becomes "Sherigan," while in King it assumes the form of "Sheringham, and, from a statue or idol, is transformed to a town. But after a careful investigation of all the circumstances we have come to the conclusion that there never was a statue or idol named Scheringam or Sherigan, nor any town named Sheringham. The true form of the word seems unquestionably to be Srirangam, in English usually written Seringham, and this Seringham is neither a statue, an idol, nor a town, but a fortified island in Mysore, formed by the river Cavery and its branch the Colerun, two miles north of Trichinopoly. At the western extremity of this island stands a magnificent pagoda or Hindu temple, with seven distinct enclosures, lofty towers, a gilded cupola, and numerous dwellings of Brahmins, the whole enclosed within an outer wall some four miles in circumference. This is the Hindu temple that has been transformed to the "statue of Scheringham," and town of "Sheringham," from the chief idol in which was abstracted the "Orloff" Diamond. According to Dutens' account, a French grenadier, having deserted the Indian service, found employment in the neighbourhood of the temple, where he soon learnt from native report that the sacred edifice contained a celebrated idol of the Hindu god Sri-Ranga, whose eyes were formed by two large diamonds of inestimable value. These he determined to seize, but no Christians being admitted beyond the fourth enclosure of the pagoda, in order to effect his purpose he assumed the character of a native devotee, and affected great veneration for this particular divinity. By this means he gradually secured the unlimited confidence of the unsuspecting Brahmins, and at last procured the appointment of guardian to the inner shrine containing the object of his special attentions. Taking advantage of a stormy night, he laid sacrilegious hands on the deity entrusted to his watchful care, and wrenched one of the glittering eyes from its socket, leaving the other undisturbed, either because he was interrupted at his work, or because he discovered that the corresponding orb was mere "paste." With his costly prize he escaped through the raging tempest to the English army, then encamped at Trichinopoly, and thence to Madras, where he was glad to dispose of the gem for pound 2,000, to an English sea captain, who brought it to London, where he sold it to a Jew for pound 12,000. Here the story again becomes clouded, and in fact mixed up with the adventures of the "Moon of Mountains." The Armenian, Shafrass, who, as will be presently seen, had nothing to do with the "Orloff," is suddenly introduced, instead of a Persian merchant, who purchased this stone from the Jew, and brought it to Amsterdam. The merchant here referred to was probably the notorious Khojeh Raphael, of Armenian extraction, but born at Julfa, a suburb of Ispahan. This Khojeh was some years afterwards met in Leghorn by the Persian traveller, Mirza Abu Taleb Khan, who describes him as "a complete old scoundrel, who had seen a great deal of the world, and understood a number of languages. He had left Persia when a young man, and had gone by sea to Surat; thence across the peninsula to Bengal. After residing there some time he made a voyage to England, and from that country went to Russia; and after travelling over great part of Europe, at length settled as a merchant in Leghorn." It was on his way from England to Russia that Khojeh met Prince Orloff in Amsterdam, and induced him to purchase the Indian gem for his mistress, the Czarina, Catherine II. Orloff was himself at the time also on his travels. Having fallen under the displeasure of Catherine, he had absented himself from Court until the storm should blow over. Khojeh's offer was now eagerly accepted, as affording an excellent opportunity for recovering the favor of the empress, who is reported to have already declined the purchase as too costly, but who now accepted the jewel at the hands of her illustrious subject. Orloff paid the merchant pound 90,000 in cash, besides procuring him an annuity of pound 4,000. According to some accounts a patent of nobility was added. But it will be seen that this honour was reserved for the Armenian, Shafrass, in connection with the "Moon of Mountains" diamond. Some writers also state that the "Orloff" was at one time set in the throne of Nadir Shah, and that after his murder it was stolen by a French grenadier, who escaped with it to Madras. In order to substantiate this story, it would be necessary to assume that there were two French grenadiers concerned in the theft of two of the largest diamonds in the world, that both of them fled to Madras, and that both also sold their plunder for the the same sum of pound 2,000 to an English skipper. Of course nobody will believe this, and we shall see that Nadir Shah's gem was not taken to India, but from India, and that no French grenadier was concerned in its theft.