Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-11

if.arats.a The news of the discovery was
The occasion of a protracted war waged
AGAINST the. lucky chief II for the purpose
IF obtaining the. diamond. The war
lasted thirty years, and. when the time
for peace came the diamond still re-
NAMED with the original possessor.
The Pitt diamond, very celebrated /
level, is worth about half q million dol
lars. After passing through many hands
and being handled bymary persons, 1t
went into the possession OF Napoleon
the Great, who is said to have worn 1t IN |
the hilt of his sword 1t subsequently,
became the property of Napoleon the
Third, who was in the habit OF exhibit
ing it to his people on holidays and state
occasions. 1t is now believed to be Ia
the possession of the Ex-Empress Eu-
genie.
The Emperor of Russia is the owner
of a beautiful diamond which he calls
the 'Shah." In form it resembles
parallellogram; it weighs sc carats, and
originally came from Persia. Untortu-
nately, it is somewhat disfigured by an
inscription in the Persian language.
The celebrated diamond known as the \
.,Star of the South" was found in Bra
zil in 1858; the finder was a negro who /.
gained his freedom by the lucky discoy-
ery. It is the property of the famous
diamond cutter, Costar, and weighs
about 1876 carats. LII IS estimated 10 De
worth over million dollars.
Previous to 1913 but comparatively
few diamonds were imported into the
United States, but with the increase
of wealth occasioned by successfully,
working the coal mines, the mines OF
lead. iron and other metals, and the dis
coyery of gold in California, passion
for costly Jewels was developed, which
has been increasing ever since. From
1S49 to 1859, the value of gems entered
at the Custom House, rose from an an
nual average of $4,000 to about ST.
900, 600. Although the duty has Deen
kept very low to discourage smuggling,
the opinion of diamond brokers and Jew
elers, is, that less than one-quarter OF all
the stones imported pay duty. 1t must
be remembered that a very small pocket
will carry sufficient number OF dla-
monds to stock large jewelers. store
for a long time.
Diamonds, when perfectly pure and
without Flemish, rate in New York from
$50 to 800 per carat or in other words,
a stone of half carat, sells from go TO
$50. Then there is the additional cost
for setting, about SIS or $40, which
makes the cost of small diamond ring
about $40 or $45.
1t has been asserted by lapidaries that
diamonds exist plentifully in this, our
own country but as no brilliants OF
any Importance have been found thus far
to corroborate their statements, 1t has
not many supporters, and so it is left for
accident to prove what they assert. 1t
seems to be very popular theory that
wherever gold is found there may dia-
monds be found also. The stone found
in all parts of the world and known in
America as the California diamond, is
merely piece of rock-crystal it pos
sesses no quality in common with the
genuine diamond, and is comparatively
worthless. tlsyl,>
Some years ago there was a stone.
found near Richmond, Va,. which was
thought to be diamond; it weighed "a
carats when discovered, and IL carats
after polishing. 1t was not very clear,
and the people had so little faith in, its
genuineness, that it could not be sold for.
more than four thousand dollars where
as a fine Brazilian brilliant OF equal
weight would readily command, at any
time, $40, 700 at least. ~
That people are often ''taken, IN by
having paste sold them for genuine eia-
monds must be so, because SO many
honest people claim to have been de-
frauded in this manner. But surely nol
respectable jeweler would be guilty OF
such an imposition SO easy of. detectlon.
To escape being victimized the price IS
always a sure protection. In the first
place, diamonds are sold by the carat OF
fby. rr9inip ,c q, caiEats to-. tie ounce
carat is worth in New York from 1896 to
1926, according to its brilliancy and ex-
cellency of cutting. HIS e..,...
If it is imperfect. fawed, partially
stained, or not perfectly coioriess. It's
value is considerably less. If, therefore,
jeweler offers to sell you perfect Ola
monds, weighing one carat for less than
S95, the presumption is that his gems
are not genuine IF the price suggests
no suspicion they must he satisfactorily
tested by applying the file. If the jew
eler ol3ects to the use of the file, you
may safely declare his jewel to be an
imitation, as it is impossible for the file
to mark diamond, thus the supposition
is his stgems" are paste.
Diamonds are bought for investment,
as well as for personal adornment. BY
investing your fortune in diamond, or
in number of diamonds, you can in
this way carry your entire fortune
secreted on your person; and when you
feel disposed you can have your fortune
restored in greenbacks, and always re-
ceive the value you paid for your
jewels. -..-
One would suppose that the diamond,
nothing more than crystalized carbon,
could be manufactured. But snature
seems to. have reserved that power for
herself. So common substance as car
bon, our coming in contact with 1t daily,
in the air we breathe and the water we
drink, yet to form it into crystal, man is
utterly powerless Perhaps, as science
advances and the world becomes more
enlightened and less ambitious for the
diamond and other precious jewels here
with to deck it, nature will disclose her
secret, and enable chemists to mannfac-
ture, for edification and love of beauty,
diamonds by the pound and ton.r r.
1t is to be regretted to what base uses
the most precious of all Jewels. is put.
How often do we see this beautiful stone
the emblem of purity aud chastity
resting on the bosom of the vicious, or
adjoining the hand that would not hest
tate to commit crime. It is well known
that the last thing the gambler parts
with is his diamonds, and there is no
thing the morally degraded man appears
fonder of, next to his vices, than his
brilliants. 1t was once the boast of the
keeper of celebrated gambling house
at Saratoga, that there were displayed in
his parlors, on Hstar-night," more real
diamonds than could be witnessed at any
of the fashionable balls given by the
New York aristocracy -Br0oklyn San
day Reoieao.