It was one of the gems possessed by Nadir Shah, and at the time of his death was received as booty and secreted by one of the assassins. Long after the event, an Afghan visited an Armenian by the name of Shafras, who lived at Bassora with his two brothers, and offered him a large diamond, an emerald, a ruby of fabulous size, a sapphire of wonderful beauty, together with a hundred other stones of less value. The stranger asked an insignificant price for these valuable gems, but the Armenian was not at the time able to furnish the means of purchase, and entreated the Afghan to return at another time with his treasures. But suspicious of the good faith of the jeweller, the mountaineer departed and disappeared. Several years afterward the Armenian met, by chance, the Afghan at Bagdad, where the gems were sold to a Jew for 65,000 piastres. Shafras summoned his two brothers, and they assassinated the stranger and the Jew, and flung their bodies into the Euphrates. The brothers fled to the desert, and while attempting to divide their spoils fell into dispute. In the depths of night the elder brother slew his two companions in crime, and fled to Constantinople. From thence he passed to Holland, and informed several of the Courts of Europe of his treasures. Catherine is said to have invited him to Russia, but would not accede to his terms of purchase. The Armenian, while at St. Petersburg, was induced by some of the courtiers to lead a life of dissipation, with the view of ultimately obtaining his treasures. But, soon perceiving the intentions of his associates, he secretly quitted the country, and was heard of no more for ten years, when by accident it was discovered that he was living quietly at Astrakhan. New overtures were at once made to him by the Russians, but he would not consent to meet the negotiators, except at Smyrna. At this city the purchase was finally made, and the Shah passed into the possession of the Muscovites for an immense sum of money,--said to be $650,000. Unfortunately for this romantic story, only the outlines of which we have here given, it is now reported that Chosroes, the son of Abbas Mirza, presented the gem to the Emperor of Russia. Another account states that it was purchased of Chosroes by the Russian Government. At all events, no matter what its true history may be since the death of Nadir, it is a gem of the most perfect purity of color and freedom from blemish. Upon one of its sides an inscription in the Persian language has been engraved by some lapidary of extraordinary patience. Its weight is ninety-five karats. Many of the Russian nobles possess fine diamonds, which are not well known to the public. We know that the Princess Yassopouff owns the fine brilliant of forty karats called the Polar Star; but what has become of the fine gem of ninety karats, which was cut for Russia by the French lapidary Jarlet, at the close of the seventeenth century?