SULTAN’S JEWELS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 266, 31 January 1928, Page 12

SULTAN’S JEWELS

“RICHES UNCOUNTABLE” SALE CONSIDERED An Arabian Nights tale of a fabulous hoard of jewels in one of the palaces of the former sultans in Constantinople is cabled to the “New York Times” by its correspondent in Geneva. It would appear (though this is not definitely stated) that the Angora authorities are considering the question of selling some of the Crown jewels. A Swiss jeweller, who was asked to Constantinople to value the collection, has returned home. He says he failed to accomplish his

mission “because the riches were uncountable.” To reach the jewel room he had to pass through several . doors, each guarded by armed sentinels. The last door, of solid bronze, was so heavy that it required eight men to open it. In the treasure-chamber the Swiss jeweller beheld trays upon trays piled up with mixed and loose stones, red and blue, diamonds, pearls of unbelievable size, emeralds and rubies. Two objects especially caught his eye; one a dagger hilt consisting of a single huge emerald; and the other a throne of pure gold, encrusted with 20,000 pearls of great value, as well as several thousand rubies and emeralds. For centuries, it is reputed, this treasure chamber has been an almost inexhaustible mine of jewels, from which the Court jewellers (usually Greeks) took their pick to furnish new ornaments for the sultan, or a choice gift for some harem favourite. There was no secrecy about the Crown jewels of Turkey before the war. when they were a familiar sight to tourists to Constantinople, being on exhibition at the Old Seraglio Palace (Top-Kapon). During the war, when the British attack on the Dardanelles menaced Constantinople, the jewels were racked up ready (still at the Old Seraglio) for removal inland for safety. They were examined bv a French jeweller recently, whose report was not too favourable. The great majority of pearls are reported to be dead,” while the other gems are not of first-rate quality. A conservative estimate placed the siokoSi the iioard at iesa iuan