The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-07-06
DiA MONDS.

ihe diamonds prepared for general use, are
fashioned in three different ways, viz brilliant,
roses, and table, depending for their classfca-
ton on the form and number of their faces
lhe brilliantly are cut with many faces, fiat top,
and pointed back, aud are the most used The
rose diamonds are also cut with many surfaces,
| bHt have pointed tops and fiat under surface
The table diamonds have both upper and un.
der surfaces flat and edges beveliing from each
surface to The centre of the edge. The superi-
| or orilhancy of the diamond te all other stones
Is owing to its hardness. The rays Of light be-
ing unable readily to penetrate it, are reflected
| from its surfaces
The following are the principal colors or
shades OF the diamond namely, yellowish
yellowish green, Glove brown, blush, brownish
black, orange, rose-Ied, and colorIess. The
coloriess are the most valuable When burned
IN oxygen gas, the combination is found to be
| carbonic acid gas, hence the diamond is known
to be pure carbon.
diamonds are valued by the carat A carat
Is tour grains, or little over three grains Troy
weight. The present value of diamonds-and
the price huctuates very little--weiehing one
carat of the first cntsr, that is of the purest and
best kind, is about fifty dollars; of halt carat,
from six to eight dollars, of one eigh or unar-
Ter OF gram, from three to four dollars, and
under this weight from thirty two to thirty five
dollars carat, more or less in number making
carat.
There is great disproportion between the
value oil large and small diamonds, the price in.
creasing in much greater proportion than the
weight. Thus diamond weighing one carat,
and valued al fifty dollars, would be WORTH,
weighing two carats, one hundred and twenty
hve dollars; the additional carat being one and
hall the value OF a stone Of one carat; and
one weighing three carats, two numbered and
thirty seven dollars, and fifty cents; the addi-
honal carat, (seventy.five dollars) and half the
amount with the value Of stone of two cara,s
making thus sum; and SO on, adding one half
to the additional carat, till diamond, weighing
sixteen carats, would come to about Mirty thou
sand d0ilars: whereas sixteen diamonds weigh
ing one carat each, would be worth eight hun-
dred dollars. This mode Of computation, holds
good only with regard to small, or moderate
sized stones--stones under twenty carats For
dianonds over this weight there appears to be
no fixed standard of value, the price depending
on The competition Of The purchasers
The Pitt, oiRegent diamond, belonging to tile
crown Jewels ofFrancc, though not solarge as, is
considered some others owing to itsperfcct trans.
parency one ofthe most beautiful diamonds in the
world " is valued at millions of doI., though
it was bonght originally for one hundred thou
sand pounds sterling. This diamond was placed
by Napoleon in The hilt Of his sword. 1t weighs
large as common sized walnut Three or four
other large sized diamonds are all that have yet
been found. One belonging to the Rajah of
Mettan, weighing three hundred and sixty sew
en- carats; another in the possession of the
Great Mogul, of two hundred and eighty car
ats; and one belonging to Portugal, of one
hundred and fifteen carats.
Diamonds are found in India, on the island
of Borneo, in South America, and some few
in Africa. None have been found in the Uni
ted States, and none as yet except within the
tropics. They are usually found in loose allu.
vial soil, from which they are washed out In
South America the diamond mines are, many Of
them, in the beds ofcertain rivers, which. be-
come dry in the summer season, when the da.
monds, are taken out and searched.
Diamonds are not used exclusively for orna-
ment Discolored and poor diamonds are brok.
en- up and used as valuable powder in cutting .
and polishing the diamond-the only material
by which it can be cut and polished-thc agate,
cameo, onyx, and other hard stones. All the
engraving and lettering on hard stsnes is done
with the diamond. Diamonds are also used ex,
tensively as every one knows, by glaziers.-
Boston Journal.