The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1872-04-11
VALUATION OF DIAMONDS.
From the Manufacturer and Builder for March


greatly according to three conditions First
size; second, quality; and third if they are
uncut, or cut less or more artlstlcally..
Diamond powder for cutting diamonds, costs
81 per carat; small pieces only fit to reduce
to powder, 50; sphnters Of less than a grain
each, used by glass cutters, 81; table stones not
tit for glass cutting, uncut, 30 pieces IN each
carat, "a; do, III pieces, S.; do, a pieces. $6;
diamonds tit tor the rose cut, 70 per cent more
tit for bnlllants, 81 per cent more; tit for
brllllaatS, uncut, OF l carat, $40; 3 carats, S0U
| III carats, 81 900 /; 100 carats, 100000.
| For large stones the rule is, multiply the
weight with itself or take the square OF the
weight Ill carats, aud multiply this with $40 III
case OF crude diamonds OF good quality; with
| about so in case OF cut diamonds of inferior
quality aud inferior shape or cut; with S3O IN
case OF cut diamonds OF inferior quality aud
good shape or cut, or vice versa; and with S4O
Tor cut diamonds OF good quality aud superior
shape and cut. AS there Is Il great demand
Tor diamonds ut one carat. those of this size
when taultless or, it is technically called, Ot
the first water, cost sometimes Us much as 500.
However, the factor, $40 is accepted for all
large stones All these are the European
prices. In the United States, by the iondness
Of the people for displaying diamonds. and the
consequent great demand, the prices of cut
diamonds are as follows: Melee, or mixed
stones, from half Il grain to half carat, $50
per carat; 1-carat stone, SSU per carat; 2-carat
stone, $500 per carat; 3-carat stone, 5000 per
carat; I-carat stone 81 ,UUU per carat; 5-carat
stone, 81 1880 per carat.
1t Is seen that il we apply here tue rule OF
the square of the weight, The stones of three
aud liure caratS cost less than the SoO multi
piled 10y the square OF the weight IN carats;
this is simply caused by the lesser demand Tor
these large, expensive gems. The rule gwen
holds we'll tor the European prices We may
test IL by the prices brought al sale III Lon
don, where. few years ago, quarter oi a
million dollars worth OF diamonds were sold
ut public auction. \ pair oil earrings with
bril!lantS oi 25 carats each, brought SoJ,OUU,
which vas considered below the real value;
calculating this according to our rule, we have
I2-A2>XiO, or 50 800 for each, or S02,12O for
the two. \ single brilliant III pln, weighing
) caratS, brought $500; 5x3AlO=l,OUO In
New York they probably would have brought
much more The largest diamond, that of the
Grand Mosul, weighs nearly 300 carats and
is thus worth nearly 3U0x3GOxiO, or over
S3.5U0,0OO; it is, however, estimated ut only
=, $4,000 in gold, because it has a small flaw.
crown of England, in It's original shape, very
badly cut, weighed lc0 carats, aud was worth,
~ most $50 per carat, lojXlc6X3J, OF 81 0J1,-
$50; after cutting it in Amsterdam, IT became
one ui the finest diamonds existing, but lost
nearly oncthird of It's weight; It weighs now
nearly l3U carats. aud Is. therefore, after the
ordinary calculation, only worth 13Jxl3Oxi0,
ar 56760O0: even when doubling the price
per carat tu SSO. for reason at Its rare beauty,
we get only 81 .i52 900, tour-thlrdS the original
value when uncut So it is seen that the Eng
IiSh valuation of f2,O0O 0UG or SlO,0O0,O0O i'll
gold is absurd. Tenuant has pointed cut that
it is piece of the diamond of the Grand
Mogul, which we spoke of above, So that this
originally did weigh 4-6 carats, which is nearly
a quarter of pound We will not price the
large uncut diamond in possession OF the
King af Portugal, aud weighing $3.50 carats,
or almost twelve ounces, and said to be worth
$500 900. 600, because it has been proven To be
only white topaz White spinnel is also
sold for diamond, aud by cacination, that is,
proper exposure to fire, sapphires. hyaclnths,
emrralis and topaz have been dlscoored aud
sold Tor diamonds. so that purchasers must be
very careful in order not To imposed upon In
regard to glass or paste limitations, there Is no
danger of being imposed upon by these, as
they are so soft that they not only cannot
scratch glass, but are so easily scratched, even
by iron or steel and also by wear and tear,
that they lose their lustre in very short time