Works of Jules Verne Volume 13

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ...as the Grand Mogul, the largest known stone, which weighs two hundred and eighty carats," said the lapidary. "Four or five times as large as the Czar's diamond, which weighs a hundred and ninety-three carats!" continued Nathan. "Seven or eight times as large as the Regent, which weighs one hundred and thirty-six carats," quoth Vandergaart. "Twenty or thirty times as large as the Dresden diamond, which weighs only thirty-one!" said Nathan, adding immediately, "I should say that after it is cut it will weigh at least four hundred carats! But how can we dare to value it? It is beyond all calculation." "Why not?" answered Jacobus Vandergaart, who remained the coolest of the two. "The Kohinoor is estimated at a million and a quarter, the Grand Mogul at half a million, the Czar's diamond at three hundred and fifty thousand, the Regent at two hundred and fifty thousand--and that certainly ought to be worth four millions of money!" "It all depends on its color and quality," said Nathan, who began to recover his senses, and to prepare for the future with a view to a future bargain. "If it is pure and of the first water its value will be inestimable; but if it is yellow, like most of our Griqualand stones, it will not be worth nearly so much. For a stone of that size, I think I should prefer just a slight tinge of sapphire-blue, like the Hope diamond, or perhaps a rose tint, like that of the Grand Mogul, or even emerald shade, like that of the Dresden diamond." "No, no!" said the old lapidary, excitedly; "I believe in colorless diamonds! Give me the Kohinoor or the Regent! There are gems for you! By the side of them those others are but fancy...