Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-08-31
SOMETHING ABOUT DIAMONDS.

DR.. NJ. F. Stephenson. In his recent
work on Georgia. which includes an
account Of the diamond discoveries IN
that State, observes that the diamond,
being the hardest OF all SUBSTANCES
could not be cut by the ~ancierts. lhey
could only polish the natural facets,
which are covered with All in~crustation
of the oxides OF such metals as abound
In close proximity, and In. some cases
the most abundant associate mineral
Is cal Donate of lime, or marble, whlcn
gives by is decomposition an incrusR-
ton which, with oxides Of Iron or
manganese, or both. completely dis
gulses the lustre Of the gem. and makes
It necessary to detect 1t alone oy its
form of specialization. They only
used. the perfect o~ctohedral crystals,
which were free from those ADVENT
tioul coatings which destroy the lustre
Of four.fiftils Of all found Those were
called, by the diamond merchants
"naifes" aud diamonds OF the old
rock. Being Ignorant of geology;
they supposed that they were fouhu
too deep in tho ground to be pure;
but the quantity, as well al
quality, Of diamonds Is BY no means
governed BY the position Of the rock.
The matrix Of this precious gem Is the
itacolumite, or flexible sandstone. q
sedimentary rock which has become
highly crystalline, by volcanic heat,
when the earth's crust or mountain
chains were ~upheaved, md that tenn
peruture aud electric affinity crystal
lied the carbon In the rock and gave
ia the diamond. 1t Is impossible for
this to obtain In any formation, except
the primary non. fossiliferous rocks, rs
no other epoch contained both the ele-
ments and temperature necessary TO
form n crystal carbon. The Romans
never knew or obtained any above
three carats, by reason OF u stringent
law In India prohibiting any above
three carate being sold or exported.
All above ten carats reverted to the
crown, as n royalty to the King under
heavy penalties.
DR.. Stephenson POUNDS his assertion,
that 1t Is IN the flexible sandstone only
that the diamond Is found. upon the
argument that the earth's temperature.
when that rock received Its present
form OF crystaIization. wa that neces-
sary to cryStalize carbon /; and so no
diamonds are to be found except In
thi, rock, It's matrix. This peculiar
rock was found only in Golconda for
five thousand years; but In 1921, when
u student from Portugal visited the
Brazilian gold mines, for the purpose
of collecting specimens for q mineral
cabinet ut Lisbon, after q few days
rambling through tho mines and the
old workings, he Unexpectedly found
diamond of immense value. He con
tinued his examinations. and, In a few
weeks. he found four million dollars
worth of diamonds. which had been
thrown away. He went home and
sent his brother back. But the suspi-
cions of the crown officers were aroused
and he was arrested and confined In
prison for a year. De'pairing OF release
lie confessed his mission and delivered
up the diamonds. which were sent to the
King. who pardoned him, and issued
an order to his officers to rewash all
the grounds for diamonds, which.
had been east aside as valueless for
seventy-fve years. The rewashings
yielded from II thousand to sixteen
hundred ounces per year. worth In
timitely more than the gold. In the
last few years they are becoming ex-
hausted. The mines last year only
yielded one hundred and eighty-four
ounces, with the labor of sixty thous-
and hands. This great falling of
would have more than doubled the
price of diamonds, but for the discovery
OF South African aud Australian dia-
mond mines, which are yielding fair
profits.
In other localities oil the Atlantic,
besides Georgia, diamonds have been
found. but few In number, though
some of them are of considerable value.
The largest one was found In Virginia,
on the banks of the james. opposite
Richmond, In 1859. 1t weighed full
% caratS. One nearly as large MS this
was found In washing for gold In
North Carolina many years ago.