Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1851-07-10
DIAMONDS.

'S Pi0P"iSu iOI general use
are fashioned in three different ways, viz !:
briltiani;rose and table, depending for their
classification, on the form and number of
their faces. The briliants are cu, with
many faces, fiat top, and pointed back and
are The most used. The rose diamonds are
also cut with many surfaces, but have point.
ed tops and flat under surfaces fa, and edges
bevclling from each surface to the centre OF
the edge. The superior briliancy of the
diamondto'all other stones Is ewing 10 lis
hardness Therays Of light being enable
readily 70 penetrate il, are, reflected from It's
surfaces. .n..
The following are the, principal colors or
shades Of the diamond; viz yellowish, yell
lowish.green, olive-brown, blush, brownish-
black, orange. rose-red, and colorless. The
colorless are the most valuable. When
burned in oxygen gas The combination is
found 10 be curbonic acid gas. hence The
diamond is known to be pure carbon.
. Diamonds are valued by the carat A
carat is four grains, or a liule over three
grains, Troy weight, the presen. value of
diamonds-and the price fluc,ua,es very lit.
tie, weighing one carat OF the first catsr
thatis of the purest and best kind, is ubou,
fifty dollars; of quarter Of carat from
six TO eight, or quarter of grain from three
to four dollars and under this weight, from
thirty 10 ,hirty-fve dollars caru more or
less in number making carat.
There is grea, dsproporlion between the
value of a large Dnd small diamond, the
price increasing in much greater proper
lion than the weight. Thus a diamond
weighing one carat and valued al fifty dol.
lars, would be worth, weighing two cara,s,
one hundred and twenty-five dollars The
additional carat being one and half the
value Of stone Of one carat; and one
weighing three carais Two hundred and ,hir.
ty.seven dollars and fifty cents; the addi.
,ional carat-seventy-f dollars and half
the amount with the value Of stone of Two
carats making this sum and SO on adding
one half TO the additional cara, ill a da.
mond, weighing sixteen carats, would come
to abou, thirty thousand dollars. whereas
sixteen diamonds weighing one cara, each
would be worth eight hundred dollars. This
mode Of computation, however, holds good
only with regard 10 small or moderate sized
stones-stones under twenty carals. For
diamonds over this weight there appears TO
be no fixed standard Of value, the price dc.
pending on The competition of The purcha.
sers.
The Pitt, or Legent diamond belonging 2
to the crown jewels of France though not
SO large as some others is considered owing
to its perfect transparency, one Of the mos.
beautiful diamonds in the world, and is val.
ued a, too millions of dollars, though i,
was bought originally for one hundred thou.
sand pounds sterling. This diamond was
placed by Napoleon, in the hill ofhi sword.
II weighs one hundred and sixty carals, and
is about as large as common sized walnut
Three or four other large sized diamonds
are all that as yet have been found. One
belonging 10 the Rajah of Mcuen, weighing
three hundred and sixty.seven cara,s; an
other in the possession of the Grea. Mogul,
of TWO hundred and eighty carats; and one
belonging 10 Portugal, of one hundred and
fifteen carats.
Diamonds are found In India, on the Is
land oil Borneo, in South America, and some
few in Africa. None have been found in the
United States, and none as ye, except with.
in the tropics. They are usually found in
loose alluvial soil from which they are
washed out. In South America the diamond
mines are, many Of them in The beds of cer-
tain rivers which become dry in the summer
season when the mud and gravel containing
the diamonds are taken out and searched.
Diamonds are not used exclusively for or
nament Disco.ored and poor diamonds
are broken up and used as valuable pow.
per in cutting and polishing The diamond
The only material by which it can be cut
and polished the agate, cameo, onyx, and
other hard stones. All the engraving and
lettering on hard stones is done with the dia'
mond. Diamonds are also used extensive.
Ily, as every body knows by glaciers.