£5,000,000 Diamond.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 282, 2 December 1904, Page 2

£5,000,000 Diamond.

MH STBEETEH WILL NOT TELL ITS HIDING PLACE. An elderly gentleman with whitening haiiin sat at a writing tajble in a Bond-street room whose walla were, lined with unmounted jewels of fabulous price. Through a pair of powerful spectacles he peered hard at his visitor, who nevertheless know, instinctively that he was unseen. "I have lost my sight; therefore I am compelled to givo up business." The speaker was' Mr Edwin William Streeter, probably the most celebrated jeweller in the world. The great establishment which has been known to the West End for half a century is about to pass into the possession of the United Investment Corporation o, Moorgate-street. Mr Streeter's hand stole out and clutched what looked like a wedge of crude glass. Depositing it carefully i* the visitor's hand, ho said : "The largest diamond the world has over produced—much larger than the Kohri-Noor before it was cut into three diamonds, That stone," he added) Itmpresßivaly, fig month flvo millions sterling." Five million pounds \ The visitor let it fall on the table with a clatter as if its myriad Ores scorched his lingers. GUARDED IN A LONDON BANK The givat jewel merchant leant back in his chair and laughed heartily. "That is only a fine replica," he explained at last. "Wo dare not keep the original here. It is in a London bwnk, guarded night and day by policemen—what bank I shall not divulge, because we have missed things before." "I suppose," Mr Streeter went on, "that hod it not been for me there would have l>een no South African mines-in short, no South Africa as we know it. For in 1870 I sent out there the first diamond discovering expedition, which included Professor Toliin, who invented ' Pepper's Ghost,' and the son of Henry Bussell, who composed 'Cheer, Doys, Cheer.' They found many diamonds at kimberley, but when they camo to a solid obstruction of rock they sold for £SOO a claim which to-dny is worth £50,000,000. I mean the great Kimberley mines." Pioneer of the Burma ruby mines aral the/ pearl fisheries of West Australia, Mr Streeter has now obtained n concession of ninety miles by sixty miles between the' Nile and the Ked Sea which produces emeralds, gold, and other precious stones and metals.—Daily Mail.