With lavish hand these potentates
purchased jewels and works of art, and the treasures they have thus
accumulated are of immense value, and remind the traveler of the
gorgeous descriptions of Oriental magnificence.
The finest emerald in Europe is said to belong to the emperor of
Russia. It weighs but thirty carats, but it is of the most perfect
transparency and of the most beautiful color. There are many other
fine emeralds among the imperial jewels of the czar, some of which are
of great size and rare beauty. The ancient crown of Vladimir glitters
with four great stones of unusual brilliancy. The grand state sceptre
is surmounted by another emerald of great size. The sceptre of
Poland, which is now treasured in the Kremlin, has a long green stone,
fractured in the middle. It is not described, and may be one of the
Siberian tourmalines, some of which closely approach the emerald in
hue. The imperial _orb_ of Russia, which is of Byzantine workmanship
of the tenth century, has fifty emeralds. This fact alone would seem
to prove that emeralds were known in Europe or Asia Minor long before
the discovery of America; but, on the other hand, the ancient crown
which was taken when Kasan was subjugated in 1553 is destitute of
emeralds.
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