Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-06-26
pIAMoNDa

14OIk
bpildsr, worked at arst on the steam en-
zines belonging to some coal mines, and
10 i. was who Hrst brought out the idea,
,ow most completely proved true. that
,oal is so much 'bottled-up sunshine
All force with which we are familiar
originated with the sun; its beams cause
he growth Of plants, turning them into
10 many magazines Of carbon. ready to
operate as expansive force again in the
form Of steam, when liberated, BY being
united with the oxygen. The diamond is
in its purest form crys,alized, and
may be considered emphasically as 30
much condensed sunlight. It can be and
has been burnt up, consumed Into car
bonic gas, by the application OF sufi-
GENTLY voltaic batteries, without leaving
any residuum. A heat about sufficient
to melt silver will consume it in the open
air. but, protected from that. it can be
heated to whiteness, and without injury.
A powerful burning glass has been used
successfully to set it on FIRE, when it burn
ed with . blue. lambert flame.
The value Of diamonds, as compared
with gold and silver particularly, has
very greatly increased within the last CEN
fury. Much attention has been given to
the subject of late. Mr.. Harry Emanuel
has written q practical work on the SUBJ
ject which unfolds much that 10 new and
important in regard to diamonds and other
precious stones. 1t seems that now the
search for diamonds is upon the whole
improbable. compared with the more
sure process for washing for gold; hence
the former is largely abandoned for the
latter. The mines Of Golconda have
ceased 10 be worked for diamonds, after
having been known and operated for ages,
even before the Christian era. Indian
diamonds are, it seems, harder, more
brilliant, and Of q different formation from
those OF Brazil. which for tho last century
has been the great place for furnishing
the world with new gems Of this descrip-
ton.
The growing wealth Of the United States
has exerted . singular influence on the
price Of diamonds. They seem to have
been more in favor with our citizens than
all other precious one and gems to-
gether, and such prices have been offered
for them that half the old dowagers even
Of London and the wives Of the nobility
have privately, SOME with the knowledge
Of their husbands and some without, had
paste substituted for the old family dia-
monds in which they have been wont to
appear at court, while the real stones have
been sold in the markets Of this country
or Europe. The last Ave years, especially,
have tended to produce purchasers for
these things at extraordinary prices, as
being a safer investment than any others,
in spite Of the fact that they yield no inter-
est. As a rule, the value Of the diamond
increases a. a rapid rate as it increases in
size. It is thus with all jewels Of that
sort. Thus, a well-shaped ruby Of purest
tint, weighing one carat, may be bought
for about 800; n weighing two will
fetch $500; but one weighing four carats,
$4,000, or $2.25o. But with diamonds
the trouble has always been to find pur-
chasers for them when Of so largs.s size.
and hence it often happens that It would
even be more profitable to cut them up
into moderate-sized jewels. Thus, in
1887, a great diamond, weighing s57a
grains and Of the purest water, brought
only Ss6,ooo. Purity regulates the price
Of these jewels IS well as size. A Jaw or
a want Of uniformity Of shade cuts down
the value Of these jewels greatly. A stone
Of Eve grains, for which if white notmore
than $40 could be obtained, if Of .
brilliant emerald green, has been known to
sell for $1,000. The diamond is found Of
all colors-white, yellow, orange, red,
pink. brown. green, blue, black and opal
escent. A true black diamond is con-
sidered the rarest treasure. Brazil chiefly,
If not alone, produces this variety.
A few years aso.a noted moralist wrote:
"If Messrs. Howell s James, Of London,
were to publish a list Of the purchaser, Of
all the trinkets they sell, how surprised
some families would be! And II these
ornaments went to these gentlemen's law
full wives and daughters, what q profusidn
Of jewelry there would be exhibited in the
genteelest homes Of Vanity Fair!" In Paris,
the leaders Of fashion and wearers of
costly diamonds are not those who would
be most respected in society elsewhere.
Here they are the more natural exhibitions
Of rapidly accumulated wealth, perhaps.
Nowhere has the profusion Of diamonds
marked the highest tone of morality. The
Persian conqueror. Nadir Shah, saw the
celebrated Koh-i-noor glittering in the
turban Of the vanquished Mohammed
Shah, and proposed in the most friendly
sort Of way imaginable that they should
exchange head-dressss; and as the con-
quered man preferred that to parting with
his head, the exchange was made. Finally,
after undergoing similar exchanges for
centuries, it has now become one of the
crown jewels Of England.