Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-03-12
RAlElGfl9 IA o. aARGA l2D 1885,

mantine lustre not easy to define, bat read /
lily distinguished by the eye from that Of
every other gem is their most obvious fea-
ture. Their Sp. CIR. is 3,55. The natural |
form Of diamonds is deriyaLle from an
octahedron and they never. The fracture of
the diamond is foliated, and therefore, not I
withstanding their great hardness diamonds |
are brittle and give way in the line Of their
cleavage, affording a direct means Of arri- |
wing ut their primitive form. The diamond |
is not acted upon by any solvent 1t is |
combustble, and burns iu the air at high !
temperatures. All attempts to fuse or crys-
talise carbon, in other words to form dia-
monds artifcially, have as yetsignally failed.
Some suppose tile carbon of the diamond to
be Of organic origin and by careful miscros-
copical examination Petzold has inferred
traces of vegetable parenchyma. Gohel sup
poses that the carbon has been derived from
carbonate Of lime reduced at high temper
atures by the metals of the earth. These
opinions however are not supported, and we
are obliged to confess that as yet we are not
aware Of Natures modus operand for the
| formation Of diamonds. In 1476 Louis de
Berqum discovered the art Of cutting dia-
monds by rubbing them against one another,
and of polishing them with their own pow
]
gem for the purpose Of dress and decoration.
The largest diamond known, seems, to be that
which formerly belonged to the Rajah Of
Mattan, in the East Indies 1t is Of the
purest water and weighs 3G7 carats, or at
the rate Of 4 crs. to the carat 8 ounces troy.
1t is shaped like an egg with an indented
hollow near the smaller end it was dis
covered at Landak about 100 years age, and
though the possession of it has cost sew
eral wars it remained in the Mattan family
90 years. This diamond has been identified
with the great diamond or mountain Of light,
which was displayed by its present proprie-
tor, the Queen Of England. The diamond
mentioned by Tavernier, as belonging to the
Emperor Of Mogue, is said to have weighed
when rough 800 carats. it was found In Col
conda about the year 1850. After these pro-
digeas gems the next are-l. That of the
emperor Of Russia, bought by the empress
Catherine which weighed 1913 carats. 1t is
Of the size Of pigeons egg, and was
bought for S+45 900, besides an annuity of
$4,000 1t is reported that this diamond
formed one of the eyes of the famous statue
3 of Sherngan in the temple Of Brama, and
that a French grenadier who had deserted
into the malabar service, found the means of
robbing the pagoda of this precious gem, and
: escaped with it to Madras, where he sold 1t
, to ship captain for $4,000. %. That Of
the emperor Of Austria which weighs 139
carats, and is valued at $440, 900. Sd. That
. among the crown jewels of France called
the Regent or Pitt diamond, which is sup
posed to be one of the most perfect and
beautiful hitherto found. 4th. The POrtu-
gal diamond furnished by Brazil, and now
in the possession OF the crown Of Poltuga1
= which, according to the highest estimates
weighs 120 carats. This diamond was found
in the streamlet of Abaite in clay SLATE
u district. Besides being used in Ornamental
5 jewellery, diamonds are Importantly appli
: cable in some Of the arts. In consequence
:. Of their extreme hardness they are employed
;. for pivot holes in delicate watch and clocl
4 work they have also been used to form tn
&c holes through which extremely fine wires ar
- drawn, they also furnish the only convt
y niert tool for cutting glass and DR.. CORN
Sc and Mr.. Pritchard have lately invented dii
G. mond microscopic lenses. These give visio
/ with a very trihing chromatic alteration, an
le light is said to he superior to that of an
O compound microscope whatever.
- TO BE CONTINUED