The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-27
THE KING OF DIAMONDS.
One Hundred Millions Represented in q
Single Precious Stone.

1t seems as though, after lapse Of three
centuries. Sir Walter Raleigh's dreams Of an
Ell Dorado were about to be realized.
The other day we published an account Of
marvellous discoveries of diamonds in South
Africa. They had been found for miles along
the banks of the Orange and the Vaal rivers.
They were not only abundant, but they were,
many of them, Of great size. Some were found
of the pandaloque shape and of the first water,
Weighing upward of eighty carats; others OF
the octahedron, or four-pointed, that weighed
upward Of thirty carats; and OF the smaller
varieties immense numbers had been picked
up on the surface of the ground. Naturally,
South Africa was in o ferment. Elephants
tusks were forgotten, and every one was hunt
ing for precious stones. The injection had
even extended to this country, and DR.. Hall was
organizing colony to go diamond gathering
But now come reports from Australia OF dis
coyeries there which far eclipse those in South
Africa kilograms have come flying from tne
Australian mines to England big enough 10
make the diamond merchants hold their breath
with astonishment. The glittering stones have
been picked up in such quantities that, says
the London Times, in q leading article on the
subject, .'thc cOlonsts are all dreaming OF pre-
cious stones. At every table and in every rail-
way carriage the talk is of diamonds and ru-
bies, opals and emcralds, pearls and topazes,
and people of all ranks are rushing TO the
mines. Genuine diamonds arc on sale by wo-
men and children at every cottage, and there
can hardly be mistake, we should think,
about the nature OF the stones"
This is marvellous enough In all conscience,
but this IS not halt the story; the rest OF it
smacks of the Arabian Nights Entertainments,
aud Snbad the Sailors adventures in the great
diamond valley to which lie flew on the back
of mighty bird. And this latter and wonS
derfiil half we must preface with the state
ment, familiar doubtless 10 many OF our read
ers, that the increase in value OF the diamond
is vastly greater in proportion than Its In
crease in weight. A stone weighing one carat,
for instance, might be worth fifty dollars; but
one weighing five carats would be worth Two
thousand. Imagine, then, the value OF one as
biz as lemon and weighing three-quarters OF
O bound. Such one Is said to have been
found in Australia. Its discovery has been
telegraphed TO England. 1t was placed In the
hands of q trustworthy man. He was sur
rounded by a strong Gordon of military, and
was marched in this way from the mines to
sydney, where the magnificent gem was de-
posted in the mint. The stone has not yet
been thoroughly tested. Biologists are at
work upon it now; but if it really proves to
be what is supposed, its value will be al
most fabulous Its weight is 900 carats The
great English diamond, that pride of the Bri-
carats, and its computed value is ten millions
I in gold. The value of the stone just found, If
computed by the tables In use, would be hum
dred millions in gold. But OF course, this
value would In any event be imaginary since
no purchaser could be found with hundred
millions to spare for o diamond. even If 1t was
as bio as lemon,