The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-10-01
The New "Diamond Fever

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The New "Diamond Fever"
Most of our readers have more or less
knowledge Of the recent excitment on the
Pacific coast in regard to mines of dia.
monds and other precious stones. Ac-
counts of dicoveries, chiefly in Arizona or
contiguous regions of New Mexico, have
been multiplying, and many explorers or
diggers have started for the new fields
AS was to be expected in such circum.
stances, mining companies have been for
med in San Francisco, and other cities Of
the Pacific slope, with large amounts of
nominal capital, and speculation in dia.
mond stocks seems about to become the
new order of the day. Meantime, wise
ones have their doubts. 1t is strongly
suspected that at least quite a proportion
of the largest stories are cooked for the
occasion /; and the statement comes from
London that some months ago rough stones
Of the same character as have since ap-
peared in San Francisco were purchased
in that market in considerable quantities,
under such circumstances as to lead to
suspicion that they were to be used some-
where as bats in foisting speculative
"joos" into notice all of which is not
improbable. Wary men think twice be-
fore putting their money into such schem-
es and real friends of the Pacific States
will look with far more interest upon the
fruit and grain fields of that section than
upon the diamond fields.
Nevertheless, it cannot oc doubted
that to greater or less extent what are
called precious stoues are found in those
regions, Whether any of them are dia-
monds, is more questionable. What are
called white or water sapphires very
much resemble the diamond, being brilli-
ant, coloales, and in hardness next to the
diamond, for which they are often taken
by inexpert judges.
Diamonds are nearly pure carbon, while
sapphres are nearly pure alumina. An.
other form OF carbon, as is well known, is
charcoal; another form OF alumina is
clay so that. while without any great
improperly diamonds may be said to
be crystalized coal ,sapphires may be said
to be crystalized clay. Diamonds however
have never been made to crystalize arti.
6cially; sapphires have, though the crys.
tails were so small as to be vaueless for
ornamental purposes. White or colorless
sapphires have not been very common,
the gem being more usually beautiful
blue, which is known as the sapphire col.
or the constituents of the two, however,
are nearly Unidentified, except the coloring
matter to which the peculiar tint of the
latter is due The same elements, also,
except the coloring matter, are found in
the ruby, the amethyst, the topaz, and the
emerald. These, as is well known, are
respectively red, violet,yelow and green /;
varying, however, somewhat in the exact
shade in different specimens. "Coruu.
dun" is name sometimes given to this
material, being often used to include all
varieties-the crystalized gems as well as
the uncrystalized and Opaque substance /;
though it is often used as referring only
to the latter. Emery is perhaps the
most common example opaque corundum.
Its hardess, like that of the gems, rank.
ing very high, peculiarly fits it for the
purposes for which it is commonly used
Though the alleged diamonds found in
Arizona should prove to be white Sap
phres," they may still have high value ;
as would also the various colored sap
phires, if they are pure or nearly SO.
Oriental gems Of these various colors are
often held at very high prices !; sometimes
as high or even higher than diamonds.
The books tell us of a ruby belonging to
the collection of the Marquis Of Dree,
selling for thousand franc, while very
fine diamond of the same weight sold for
only eight hundred. We are also told OF
two sapphires owned in London, which
are valued at 100000. The best sap
phires have been found in Burmab, the
most valuable of which are usually re-
tanned by the Indian princes. Inferior
crystals have long been found in various
European countries and in different States
Of our own. Several localities are men,
toned both in New Jersey and New
York where they have been met. Prof
j. l.. Smith, of Louisville, recently ex-
hibited to the American association for
the advancement of science at Dubuque
specimens of rubies and sapphires sent to
him from Montana. He also spoke OF
large deposits OF corundum in North
Carolina, were quite valuable gems had
recently been found. Prof. Carr at the
same meeting, confirmed this, and referred
not only to these deposits in North Caro-
lima, but similar ones-if not the exten.
sion of the same bed-in Georgia, from
which at least one stone was taken that
sold as high as three hundred dollars
There can be no doubt that such deposits
exist in many places in the country
many probably as yet undiscovered
though the stones thus far found hav,
been much inferior to the Oriental. Al
bringing to light more OF the resources o.
the land, the discoveries are all exceed
ingly interesting; as raising another fe
yer of speculation, aud sending multi
tude OF adventurers to Arizona in search
Of gems which, at the very best, only 1
few can find, they are disastrous. AnC
especially they are disastrous when, un
scrupulously exaggerat ed, they are mad,
the basis of SO called stock companies, tn,
certificates Of which are palmed off upor