# A Treatise on Diamonds, and Precious Stones

A
TREATISE ON DIAMONDS.
&c. &c. &c.
W. M‘Dowall, Printer, Pemberton Row, Gough Square.
FRONTISPIECE.
J Mawe, 149, Strand.
A
TREATISE ON DIAMONDS,
AND
Precious Stones:
INCLUDING THEIR
HISTORY—NATURAL and COMMERCIAL.
To which is added,
THE METHODS OF CUTTING & POLISHING.
WITH
COLORED PLATES.
BY JOHN MAWE,
Honorary Member of the Mineralogical Society of Jena, &c. &c. Author of Travels through the Gold and Diamond District of Brazil; Lessons on Mineralogy and Geology, New Descriptive Catalogue, &c.
Here the soft emerald smiles, of verdant hue, And rubies flame, with sapphire’s heavenly blue; The diamond then attracts the wondrous sight, Proud of its thousand dies, and luxury of light,
SECOND EDITION.
London: PRINTED FOR AND SOLD BY THE AUTHOR, 149, STRAND; AND LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1823.
Peculiar Diamonds.
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES.
FRONTISPIECE.
COLORED STONES.
* Sapphire.
* Oriental Ruby.
* Oriental....... Amethyst.
* Oriental....... Topaz.
* Asteria.
* Chrysoberyl.
* Spinelle Ruby.
* Emerald.
* Topaz.
* Aquamarine.
* Amethyst.
* A Doublet.
* Turquois.
* Chrysoprase.
* Garnet.
* Sardoine.
* Onyx.
* Oriental Agate.
PECULIAR DIAMONDS.
* Regent Diamond.
* Pigot ditto.
* Austrian ditto.
* Blue ditto.
* Profile of ditto.
* Nassuc ditto.
* Grand Russian ditto.
PLATE 1.
| 1. | Represents a regular octahedral diamond. |
| 2. | The top and bottom reduced to form the table and collet. |
| 3. | The preceding, single cut: |
| 4. | Profile of a full sized brilliant. |
| | a The Table. |
| | b The Collet: |
| | c The Girdle. |
| | d The Bizel |
| | e The Collet side. |
| 5. | Table and bizel of No. 4. |
| 6. | Collet and collet side of the same. |
| 7. | Two views of a rose diamond. |
| | a An oval diamond. |
| 8. | Table and bizel. |
| 9. | Collet and collet side. |
| ⁂ | The last three figures represent the size of a well proportioned ten-carat diamond. |
| 10. | Table diamond. |
| 11. | A Lasque. |
| 12. | The same with one bevel. |
Plate I.
Plate II.
​Nos. I. to VI. represent the sizes of brilliants of from one to six carats, cut in exact proportion.
A. An instrument called by diamond cutters "The Compass." It is formed of a piece of plain brass for the base, with a moveable arm in the centre, which in the fig. is set at 45 deg. measuring the inclination of the collet side to the girdle; and of the bizel to the table, at the supplement of the same angle. See p.73.
PLATE II.
FIGURES OF ROUGH DIAMONDS.
DIAMOND POLISHER.
CONTENTS.
* Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................xiii
* CHAPTER I.
* ON THE DIAMOND.
* SECT.
* 1Preliminary Observations................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
* 2Commercial value of diamonds................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
* 3Remarks on the purchase and sale of diamonds................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................15
* 4Physical and chemical characters................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................28
* 5Natural history, localities, &c.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34
* 6Notice of peculiar diamonds................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................41
* 7Commercial history of rough diamonds................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................48
* 8Art of cutting, splitting, sawing, and polishing diamonds................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................67
* CHAPTER II.
* ON COLORED STONES.
* SECT.
* 1Oriental stones.—Sapphire, Ruby, Amethyst, and Topaz................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................85
* 2Chrysoberyl or Oriental Chrysolite, Cymophane................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................98
* SECT.
* 3Ruby—Spinelle and Balais................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................101
* 4Emerald and Aquamarine................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................103
* 5Topaz................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................108
* 6Garnet................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................113
* 7Amethyst, Yellow Crystal, Rock Crystal, Cat’s Eye, Sard or Onyx, Opal and Chrysoprase................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................115
* 8Peridot or Chrysolite................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................127
* 9.Turquois................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................129
* 10Zircon................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................132
* Tourmaline................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................133
* Moon-stone, Sun-stone................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................134
* 11On cutting and polishing precious stones................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................135
* Appendix................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................143
* Table of Specific Gravity, &c.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................148
ERRATA.
Page 29, line 14, for heliotrope read hemitrope. Page 68, in the note, for p. 77, read p. 78.
INTRODUCTION.
THERE are few things in history that at first sight appears so remarkable as the prodigious value, which, by common consent, in all ages, and in all civilized countries, has been attached to the Diamond.
Among ornaments and luxuries it has ever occupied the highest rank. Even Fashion, proverbially capricious as she ​is, has remained steady in this, one of her earliest attachments, during probably three or four thousand years.
The fascinating beauty of this gem, depending on its unrivalled brilliancy, was unquestionably the original cause of its attracting admiration, and which still upholds it in universal estimation: notwithstanding the smallness of its size, there is no substance, natural or artificial, that can sustain any comparison with it in this respect. The vivid and various refractions of the opal, the refreshing tint of the emerald, the singular and beautiful light that streams ​from the Asteria, the rich colors combined with high lustre that distinguish the ruby, the sapphire, and the topaz, beautiful as they appear upon near inspection, are almost entirely lost to the distant beholder; while the Diamond, on the contrary, whether blazing on the crown of state, or diffusing its starry radiance from the breast of titled merit, or wreathing itself with the hair, and entering ambitiously into contest with the living lustre of those eyes that "rain influence" on all beholders, proclaims to the most distant of the surrounding crowd, the person of the monarch, the noble, or the beauty. ​The gem, without any essential color of its own, imbibes the strong solar ray, and reflects it with additional intensity, hardly yielding to the splendor of the meridian sun.
Another circumstance tending to enhance the value of the Diamond is, that although small stones are sufficiently abundant to be within the reach of a moderate expenditure, (and therefore affording to all persons who are in easy circumstances, an opportunity of acquiring a taste for Diamonds), yet those of larger size are, and ever have been, rare; and of the most celebrated for ​magnitude and beauty, the whole numnumber in Europe scarcely amounts to half a dozen, all of which are in the possession of sovereign Princes. Hence the acquisition of a moderately large Diamond, is what mere money cannot always command; and many are the favors, both political and personal, that have been offered in exchange for a Diamond of uncommon beauty, where its commercial price in hard cash, neither could be tendered nor would be received.
It may also be remarked that this species of property has hitherto been but ​little liable to fluctuation, and has continued for several years gradually to increase in value; insomuch that the price of stones of good quality, if estimated by the rules in practice sixty years ago, would now, even in the depressed state of the market, be considerably too little
The properties and characters of the Diamond have occupied the attention of chemists, crystallographers, and minerallogists, from the time of Pliny to the present day: the most intelligent of our ​travellers, into those parts of the world where Diamonds are procured, have also furnished several interesting particulars. It has been the aim of the author in this treatise to condense their remarks, and to present the reader with a succinct account of the history and nature of the Diamond. Much of the original information contained in the following pages, is the result of the author's travels in Brazil, and of an extensive dealing subsequently in this valuable commodity, which has enabled him to supply a very detailed account of its present commercial value. In this part of the work he may perhaps be accused of egotism, but ​when it is considered that the circumstances he relates occurred under his own observation, he trusts that he may be pardoned for having so often spoken in the first person.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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