The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-11-12
n Diamond Of Eight Ounces.
A PRECIOUS STONE 40 BIO 40 A LEMON
POUND IN AUSTRALIA.
From the Loudon Times, OCT. 8.

l
The discovery Of diamond weighing
three quarters of . pound. and worth, on a
moderate estimate, twenty millions of mon.
ey, wonld be an event calculated to leave q
mark even on this age of sensstions. We
only regret we cannot quite announce 1t a.
. fact. A stone, however, assumed to be
precious, and defined in several telegrans a.
diamond, . topaz and nondescript. has
actually been found in the Australian gem
sand. 1.-THE thing" - our correspondent
irrcverently calls Il, 10 - big - hrge
lemon, It weighs between seven and eight
ounces in the scale, and it might, as people
aay, be anything for all that could be told
To enable the reader to speculate on the
possible marvel and appreciate the phenom.
enon at it, proper worth, we will just ex.
plain what l, means, or would mean, If &C..
tually realized. Diamonds arc measured by
their weight in carats, carat being four
grains The largest diamond of which we
in this country have any practical knowl-
edge is the famous Koh-i.noor, which in its
historical shape, Is shown ct the Exhibition
Of 1851, weighed 1855 carats, or IA grains
The new Australian diamond would weigh
about 900 carats, or 5000 grains-just about
five times % much. Diamonds, however,
increase enormously IN theoretical value
with increase of weight; so that, whereas;
the Koh.i.noor was computed to be worth,
according to the ascending scale of prices,
some $4,000, 900, the Australian stone would
be valued bv . jeweler At far more than 1--WE
times that sum. We need hardly add that
such calculations are purely speculative. It
is oil very well 70 psove the value of dia-
mond by the rates Of conventional table,
but no purchaser could be found with mill
ions in their pockets. the estimate 10 entirely
nominal. The real value of thing 10 what
It will bring, and no stone could be actually
sold for million. In poiut of fact, this
Limitation of market values was very soon
reached in the late buoyancy of the trade.
Up to . certain point, the value of dia-
monds rose greatly about twenty years ago,
hut when this point had been passed the
prices remained stationary. The enhance
ment occurred solely In stones that, Is the
phrase goes, were "every bodys money"
A diamond worth e500, or even 81, 900.
would fetch 20 or 30 per cent in addition,
but the famous Burgundy diamond, for in.
stance, brought only e9o, ooo-a very mode.
rate price. It will certainly be interesting
to learn by and by what this "rsputed" dia'
mond turns out to be, but, ~ regards the
mere possibilities of the case, We may re.
mark that there Is already "reputed" dia.
mond in the world weighing actually twice
q much q the Australian gem. This won
derful stone 10. or WAS, In the Portuguese
Treasury, among the crown jewels of the
Kingdom, and it 10 known to weigh 1900
car,ts. Unfortunately, this Is about the
amount Of knowledge We possess in the
case, for tho Government would never allow
It 10 be examined. and It may only b .
white sapphire or something less
This, by latest examination. proves to b
only . bit Of crystilised quarts-valuelesal