Travels in India (Tavernier) 89.8

89.8

While the Messrs. Fremlin and Francis Breton were Presidents at Surat on behalf of the English Company, a Jew named Edward Ferdinand, a free merchant, that is to say not subject to any Company, combined with these two gentlemen to purchase a stone, a short time after the mine was discovered. This stone was clean and of good form, and weighed 42 carats. Edward went to Europe, and Messrs. Fremlin and Breton placed the stone in his hands to sell to the best advantage, and render an account to them. On his arrival at Leghorn he showed it to some Jew friends, who offered him 25,000 piastres for it. But as he asked 30,000 he was unable to let them have it, and took it to Venice to get it cut. It was well cut, without any injury, but upon being put upon the wheel it was immediately broken into nine pieces. I myself was on one occasion deceived by one of these stones, which weighed 2 carats ; it broke into small pieces on the wheel when it was only half finished.