Some of these jewels are of unique patterns and workmanship, and of immense value. Among them is a necklace of solitaires, each stone as large as the end of the thumb, with large pear-shaped pendants attached. There is also a bracelet of rude Persian art, made of beaten gold, and set with uncut crystals of diamonds, thus indicating a very ancient origin, or singular caprice on the part of the maker. There are still preserved among the princely families of Russia, as well as in the Royal casket, many diamonds yet in their rough and crystallized forms, or imperfectly cut in the Oriental and ancient manner. The remarkable soldier, Suvaroff, although careless of his dress and his personal appearance, was passionately fond of jewels. And the allied sovereigns of Europe, learning of his love of the beautiful, sent him several superb gems, among which was a large diamond of great beauty, from the Empress Catherine. Like Charles _le Temeraire_, the terrible Cossack carried his gem treasures with him during his campaigns; and he took infinite delight in examining their charms, in times of danger and fatigue. They were of various kinds and of great value; but the one he prized the most was the gift of the Czarina. This splendid gem he always reserved for the last look, after toying with the others; and seemed fascinated with the strange gleams of the prismatic display, as the stone was viewed in the dim and flickering light of the camp-fire. What a picture is presented of the grim and fearless veteran, deriving a gleam of comfort from his treasures during that lonely bivouac on the summit of the high Alps, in Switzerland, on that fearful night in 1799, when the victorious French, under Lecourbe, forced the Tatar general, with his twenty-four thousand desperate soldiers, and with terrible losses, over the desolate and rarely trodden pass of the Kenzig Culm! CHAPTER VIII. FRENCH REGALIA. Previous to the time of the French Revolution, and commencing from periods dating back beyond mediæval days, France had accumulated a casket of gems and jewels of extraordinary richness and value. The amateur may form an idea of their beauty and magnificence, from the famous report made to the French Assembly by M. Delattre in 1791. In this list there were enumerated with special care, 9,547 diamonds, 506 pearls, 230 rubies, 134 sapphires, 150 emeralds, 71 topazes, 3 Oriental amethysts, 8 Syrian garnets, and 8 other stones not designated. The estimated value of these treasures, together with the bijou and mounted parures belonging to the Crown, amounted to nearly thirty million francs. From this carefully arranged inventory, we have made the following selection, which will be interesting to the reader at the present day, as not only showing the estimated worth of the gems at that time, but also describing some of the fine gems whose history has since been lost.