The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-06

Grand tclal per work ......,. =: sl5o
-or 7 fetal d"ii&nd per annm for ,cf"r atid work
idS GLts!ontss into ornaments, i23.sco carats.
AS the above estimate is extremely mode
rt'le' there j, no eXaggeration in assuming
that the annual requirements for diamonds
exceeded the supply nearly four times before
the African discoveries. 1t is even doubtful
whether the 240, 900 carats of rough diamonds
produced before the African discovery really
yielded more than 100000 CARTS of cut or
polished brilinnts. Since the discoveries Of
diamonds in Africa the total amotliit of Yield
ter anhuln his been augmented by at least
100000 ez'r'ts i'll the rough state. The total
; annual production at present would there
fore be: Rough diamonds. 100000 caratS !;
which, when reduced ny cutting and polish
ing, would yield 10000 c,r,ts as brilliants
The startling question arises, How can Il
demand of 423, 900 carats have been supplied
three years ago by say 10000 carats bril-
liants produced: Or how c,n even now Il
demand Of 423,0O0 carats of brilIiants be adc-
Quately supplied by 220,0 900 carats of produc-
tom
Uur readers must bear in mind that the
diamond is indc-tructiblc. Gold. for ill.,
stance, i. pcrislrablc, aS il is calculated that
ten per cent. of the annual production of
gold, to Use a quaint term, cyapaIateS. in
gliding, mixing with other nlctli>. Sc. This
does not include gold used in ornament oI
watches, ina>!nnch H. that portion is in Il
coIIectable stute Of existence.
Diamonds, on the other hand, IRE indie
structible, and their accumulation is there
fore enormous.
Since ITO, d period of 100 years, the
mines in Brazil have Welded an average Of
4 "A IN I,a IN
say TO- 900 clrats net cut hriliantS, or Il total
of 5000 carats. OF this vast amount
PERHAPS not 50n,n0O clrats have Eern de.
strovcd, rs the destruction Of q diamond can
ONLY take place in Il total loss at sea or river.
1t is therefore perfectly Ineligible that Of
the v,ist amount Of diamonds Used annually
in ornaments the greater portion are simply
re ;et, and have existed for ages.
Rich families Income poor. and their din
montls are thrown on the market dynastics
fall, and their diamonds 20 to the allctlonecr'>
shop Within the last Year the Bonarrc
| worth of diamonds. When young Bomlm
| of Naples was driven away 10y Garibaldi in
| 1S6G-'Gl he sold over Il million dollars worth
of diamonds. In short. if by some posi-
| bility the whole amount Of diamonds now
|
sion for one short year the scarcity OF dill
| monds, owing to The demand of new pllr
| clr,ser>, would run up the price of briliant'
! TO three times their present value.
| 4 great revelation in the demand for dia
montis has taken place since 1880. The great
cold discoveries i'll California and Australia
the immense accumulation and diffusion o
wealth that has followed the numerous newly
| Il .t,;, his u1 ~ pf
ing the diamond popular possession and
almost a necessity.
| IT. short. tie comparatively few rich eH
I; elusive wcartrs and poS>eSsors OF diamonds
! before 1850 has been augmented by the pie
| hcian millions, or, where thirty years ago
only fifty people in a community INDUCED il
|! the 0rlHn.rntation Of diamonds. ten thou
sand have risen. WHO, on much Snilllcl
scale Ncry true, have taken to wear them.
Nature, too. ordained it so TINT OF the dIi
monds found very few, comparatively, arr
Of fine white color. And it * no dnuh
owing to this very fact that everybody i
anxious to get fine white diamond.
The Arizona diamond fever IL, of course
not developed yet. But, suppose it Shoult
he demonstrated fact: and suppose, fur
tbcr. the Weld should rcsemflcs not the Sfri
can diamond in lis general larGc size and of
color. but that Of the Erazllan, small ant
good color. and the Yield should t,c 2nn,nO'
carats per annum, the effect OH the prize" o
fine diamonds would moi br very much
An! here is the reason for il
An average parcel of 800 grats fine Ri
rough diamonds, known us melagc, contain
in it stones IRON, Dnr.>iSLernth callt ny t
: .hf.,e caruts anu four carats eaclI rough. II
such parcel Of 800 carats not more t'!an TEL
stones would be OF four rlrata cach. In fact
the parcel would BE- thus assorted:
| ~ G.irf,