The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-07-25
Something About diamonds.

lLet 1t be born i'll mind in reading the en-
SUNG article, that carat is jewelers. peculia
measure, and that 156 carats 90 to make tn,
troy ounce.
1le diamond is the most extraordinary pro
dUctlon Of nature. From the earliest times i
ne rs beer the most highly valued. full grow
u-'mond exceeds in value more than hundred
'Aousand times its mass in gold.
! Full grown? Do diamonds then grow AS
Suredly' A diamond is but piece eff crystaliz
ca charcoal Burn it, and like piece of coal
IL gives gas of carboaic acid. All crystal.
grow they are formed by the ADDITION of atoms
III thdiaw where the most extensive and longes
WORKED diamond mines are situated, it is the
universal belief that diamonds are constantly
growing In the soil from which they are obtain
ed. oomelare dug out of the crevices of rocks
OUT The greater number are procured by wash
ing over the earth and gravel with which they
are mixed, as they wash for gold in Australia
Many are also found in the beds of rivers. Gold
ana diamonds are sometimes found in the same
"diggiugs.
The diamond is distinguished from all other
gems by putting it in water. Oother gems look
uuii but the diamond shines brightly and looks
llKe globule of air under the water Diamonds
vary IN SIZE, from the little brilliant spa, ks we
are accustomed to see,up to two inches or more
IN diameter If the opinion which everywhere
prevails In India is a correct one-and it an.
pears to be sustained by experience-tbere
could be no better investment than to plant
small diamonds iii proper soil and allow them
70 grow Fifteen or twenty years, according to
he experience of the GolcOnda mines. ought to
oe lme enough for an abundant harvest
me most noted regions for the production Of
diamonds are Hlndoostan, Borneo, Brazil, and
the Ural Mountains in Russia, which are also
rich In gold and platina. A few diamonds have
been found in the United States, and one in
ireland The diamond mines, or, more proper
~, washings, in Brazil, are worked by negro
slaves Happy the negro who finds one of any
considerable size. If it weighs more than seven
teen and one half carats, he is crowned with
garland OF flowers, and carried by his fellow
slaves In triumphal procession to the mauag9r
who presents him with his freedom. He re-
ceives. also present of new clother, and the
privilege Of working the mines on his own ac
count. If the diamond weighs or 10 carets the
negro receives suit of new clothing, two new
new shirts, and a handsome knife. For smaller
stones, proportional premiums are given, so that
there Is Il constant Indictment to industry
One OF the largest diamonds ever found in
Brazil was discovered in an unexpoTed region
by three convicts, who, for some crime, had beer
banished from the civilized portions of the coun
try into the wild ana savage interior. Thus
driven from society, they conceived the idea OF
making some discovery of such value that theil
sovereign, the King of Portugal, would grant
them pardon Animated by this ambition
they traversed the country for six years, expos
ed to the greatest dangers from savages, land the
wild beasts and reptiles with which the trophic
al region abounds. At last, they were search
ing the dry bed of river, during the drought
hoping to find gold; but their industry was re.
warded by finding little shining pebble, about
the size OF a walnut, but worth million. The
next question, how to avail themselves of theil
discovery. How did they know but the first
man they met might oh them of their jewel p
They went to priest. He listened to then
story, and took them to the Governor of Villa
Rica. As soon as the Governor had seen the
diamond, and satisfied himself of it's genuine
ness, he suspended the sentence Of the convicts,
ana sent them Tire priest and the diamond un.
der proper escort, TO the Vieeroy at Rio Jan
GIRO. The diamond was sent in fligate to
Portugal ard the priest sent with 1t to tell the
the story of its discovery to the King. 1t is
needless to say that the sovereign pardoned the
convicts, and enabled them to live reputably
ever AFTER IN the society to which they had re-
turned. The devotion of the priest to their
cause was also rewarded by suitable prefer
ment; and the diamond found BY these wander
ing outlaws is now the brightest Jewel in the
crown Of Portugal.
In its natural state, the diamond is often a
beautiful gen. but it requires to be cut into the
forms III Which we usually see it, before it ex-
h.bits all Its flashing splendors. The process OF
cutting the diamond is very slow, difficult, and
expensive, As it is the hardest of known sub
stances, it can only be acted upon by itself. 1t
is diamond cut diamond" The small diamonds
and Phipc Of lnrOaP nrusbnl In n fine
powder, and this is strewn upon iron wheels,
creased to retain it, while the diamond, fastened
after another is ground and polished. With a
thin, smooth saw of iron, covered with dust the
diamond may also be sawn III two, or slabs may
be taken off, so as to bring it into the required
shaF es. These slabs are also cut to form other
jewels. Ofso precious a commodity nothing is
lost.
The cost of cutting is very great Some years
ago the Shah OF Persia came in possession Of d
large fiat diamond, which has been supposed to
be slab from the famous Koh-i-noor, or Noun
tain of Light The only account of its history
that could be gathered was, that it had been
found by poor man in Khorassaa, and had been
used by him, for a long time instead of flint
to strike fire with from piece of steel, in which
rough service it had sustained considerable in
jury. 1t weighed 130 carats land the jewellers
of Teherran demanded twenty thousand pounds
as the price of cutting it. Its value may be i'm
agined.
The famous Pitt diamond, sometimes called
the Regent diamond, weighed 4l0 carats, when
brought in the roagh from Golconda; but sc
much had to be cut away, that when ready fol
setting it weighed only 1876 carats. The cut.
ting occupied two years, and cost five Thousand
pounds. The diamond is one inch and two
lines long, one inch and one and half lines
QnHf ton line olr It holn 10 h.
crown OF France, and though not the largest il
consideled one Of the most beautiful in the
world, and was valued by a commission of jew
eiers some years ago, at more thar sixty thous
and pounds.
The Rajah of Mattan, in Borneo, is the own
er OF rather a nice diamond, which he will no
sell at any price, firstly because it it believed
to be lucky to his family, in which it has beer
for long period; and, secondly on account o
its medical virtues. When it has been emerset
tor little time in water,it imparts to it the mos
extraordinary medical properties. This waite
is distributed among the people, and cures
many diseases. For these reasons, the Rajal
refused to sell it to the Governor of Batavia witt
offered him fifty thousand pounds, two large
war brigs, with their guns and ammunition, an(
a large quantity of powder and shot
The great diamond IN the sceptre of the EN-
peror o. Russia, has had an eventful history
The fnt we know of it, it formed one of thu
eyes ofan idol in Malabar. A French grena
eier in the East India service, having deserted
in his Nanderings in the country CHANGED t.
hear an account of this idol and its wonderful
/ eye. He formed plan to gain possession of il
Processing himself convert to the faith o
Brahma, he studied for the ministry, and, afte
a suitable probation, became one Of the inferio
priests of this temple, where he secreted himsel
one night, and stole the diamond eye of tn
idol. He made his way to the English camp
and then to Madras, where he sold the eye t
a ship captain for two thousand pounds
went from hand to hand and vas finally bough
by PRICE Orloff for his mistress. the Empires
Catharine of Russia. The prince was one hur
dred thousand pounds and nobility, which i
something considerable for bit of crystalize
carbon that one could carry in his watch pocl
ct.
So much for diamonds-the most concentra
ted form of this wonderful thing which we ca
'rches" The real value of the diamond
very little. 1t is worth something to cut glaS
with, and to work up in watches though oth'
CRYSTALS must be nearly as rood. But to piy