Introduction

124
Sabina Fazli
According to Hennelly, Collins’ use of King as a source can also be seen in
the Moonstone’s “flaw, in the very heart of the stone” (Collins, Moonstone 46)
(Hennelly 29) which links it to the Koh-i-Noor. Additionally, the Hindu sources
unanimously suggest that a flawed diamond is the most dangerous of all. The flaw
in the diamond bears on its interpretability in the English context as a potential
cash item: Together with its uniqueness, its imperfection makes it hard to estimate
the Moonstone’s price on the market as “[t]he question of accurately valuing it
presented some serious difficulty. Its size made it a phenomenon […]; its colour
placed it in a category by itself, and, […] there was a defect […]” (Collins, Moonstone
46). Betteredge expresses the same uncertainty when he repeatedly states the
Moonstone’s “unfathomable” nature.
The seemingly abysmal depth of the diamond has a mesmerizing quality and
captivates the attention of even an unwilling onlooker. Through Betteredge’s description,
the Moonstone is twinned with the Shivering Sands’ “unfathomable
depths” (Collins, Moonstone 308) (Mehta 629) and their allure for Rosanna (Collins,
Moonstone 34). In both cases, the objects are both fascinating and at the same time
destructive. Another inbuilt contradiction is evident in the diamond’s physical size
comparable to a “plover’s egg” which contradicts its ability to conjure the illusion
of infinity in its lustre, creating a disparity between its material existence and the
mirage of an “unfathomable” inner depth.
The imagery in the description oscillates between extremes: The lunar brilliancy
and the infinity of heaven have their counterpart in the “yellow deep”. The
recurrence to these extremes mirrors Betteredge’s insistence on the impossibility
to fathom the Moonstone and the fact that its character defies expression. The
prosaic problem of estimating the Moonstone’s worth in terms of cash is thus
complemented by the impossibility to grasp it in words and evaluate its significance.
The Moonstone can neither be defined in terms of cash nor in words
which adds to the “elements of uncertainty” surrounding it (46).
The description of the Rajah’s Diamond is in some points similar to the
Moonstone’s. Before Prince Florizel throws the diamond into the Seine, he muses:
‘We have spoken of corruption,’ said the Prince. ‘To me this nugget of
bright crystal is as loathsome as though it were crawling with the worms of
death; it is as shocking as though it were compacted out of innocent blood.
I see it here in my hand, and I know it is shining with hell-fire. I have told
you but a hundredth part of its story; what passed in former ages, to what
crimes and treacheries it incited men of yore, the imagination trembles to
conceive, for years and years it has faithfully served the powers of hell; […]
enough of broken friendships; all things come to an end, the evil like the
good; pestilence as well as beautiful music; […] its empire ends tonight’
[…] ‘Amen,’ said Florizel with gravity. ‘I have slain a cockatrice!’ (Stevenson,
“Rajah’s” 131)