Celebrated Indian Diamonds: Diamond of the Rajah of Mattan and The Nizam

One of the most celebrated diamonds is that of the Rajah of Mattan, in Borneo. It was found on that island, and weighs 318 carats.(Other accounts make the weight of this diamond 367 carats.) It is shaped like a pear, and of the dimensions shown in Fig. 34.

This diamond is considered by the people of Borneo as a kind of palladium to which the destinies of the empire are attached. They attribute to it the miraculous power of curing all diseases by means of the water in which it has been dipped. On one occasion, according to Jamieson, the governor of Borneo offered for it $150,000, two large warbrigs with their guns and ammunition, a certain number of guns, and a quantity of powder and shot. But the rajah refused to part with it.

India has in its possession another famous diamond, the Nizam (Fig. 35), a rough diamond weighing 340 carats, and estimated at $930,000.