The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-03
concluded from First PAGE. I


weight could be discoveree. Ii is astonish
ing to see what small diamonds are cut and
polished. The infinitesimal bits Of carbon
are used to ornament watches, lockets,
rings, etc.--the smallest, not larger than
one-fourth the size of pins head, having
from ten to twenty-four faces on them,
The principal cost of these specks is the la
Dor of cutting and polishing.
In 1862, Mcssrs. Crosby, Iunnewel 6
Morse cut and polished.
THE FAMOUS AMERICAN DIAMOND,
which was found in the upper part of North
Carolina, near the Blue Ridge, and weighed
in the rough twenty-three carats. After
cutting it weighed eleven and one. half car
ats. 1t was then held to be worth i 900;
but now il would not command more than
one-third that sum. There s a somewhat
curious story connected with this gem. Be-
fore having it cut, the owner (who, by the
way, was the man who cut from the frigate
Constitution the fgurehead of Jackson),
fearing it might be stolen, had two or three
limitations made in glass, which he usually
carried about HIM. On one occasion, when
exhibiting his diamond and an imitation, he
missed on the diamond while the imitation,
remained IN his hand. ne searched in
vain for the missing gem, when, just as he
was about to give it up for lost, he looked
again at the stone in his hand, which he
discovered, to his joy and relief to be the
genuine one. The thief secured only the
imitation.
The first work done by the new cutting
machine to which we have referred was
rIrrY-TuREE CENT AFRICAN DIAMOND,
which, when finished, weighed twenty-thrcc
carats. This stone is equal in size and SUI
l,r,ll &,.t l,,, IN Nnx.
York, which was formerly owned by the
Duke of Brunswick, and for which that
nobleman paid 100000. 1t. is of citron
color and is valued at the same rate as the
Brunswick stone, which is now much less
than the original cost of that stone. The
firm are now engaged in cutting fortysix
and one-h half carat African diamond, which
is of yelowsh color. They have also,
among a variety of cut diamonds of various
shades of color, brown brilliant, which is
one of the most beautiful and rare gems
we have ever seen. Diamonds of rare and
beautiful colors command fancy prices. a
Jet black diamond, even, from its variety,
would bring more than white stone.
Such diamond has been found in Brazil.
In 1872 joint stock company was form
ed in New York city for diamond cutting.
1t had quite force of men in its employ,
and for two years prosecuted the work with
vigor. But in a pccuniary sense it was
not a success, and in 1874 it was dissolved.
The business in that city is now confined to
one individual, who has only a few work
men in his employ. The business of da-
mond cutting is one requiring not only II
large capital, but peculiar tact and cXpc-
rience, which cannot always be happily
combined in one concern. The workmen
thrown out of employment by the dissolu-
ton of the New York firm have all found
their way to Boston, and are now employed
here. To give some idea of
THE FLUcTUATIoN IN THE VALUE OF DIN-
MoNDs
within the past thirty years, it may be stat
ed that in 1916 fair price for a one-carat
stone was $50 gold. The old system OF
reckoning was to take the value of a carat
and multiply it by the square of the stone
to be sold. For instance, if stone was
three carats, the square being nine, it
would be worth $3.50, at $50 per carat At
this rate the twenty-three- carat stone ought
to be worth over S2G,000 but ratings in
value in diamonds have changed. From
1916 the price advanced, until the occur
renee of
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION OF 1913,
when it receded some five per cent. But
it soon recovered, and from that period
there was a gradual and regular advance
of some ten per cent. per annum in value
until, in 1871, good stones were worth S25C
a carat. Rumors of large discoveries o.
the precious stones in South Africa soor
after checked the advance, and in 1872 {
decline in prices commenced, and value,
became 50 unsettled that it was difficult tc
find any two experts to agree on the rea
value of stones. In 1874 the lowest point
was reached The decrease in prices soor
became so great that the miners in South
Africa could not make wages at their work
so they abandoned the diamond fields and
went to the newly discovered gold diggngs
which paid better.
After its abandonment by the miners the
diamond country was visited by heavy rains
which filled up most of the pits and shafts
so that no miner could pump out the water
and work to a profit. This put an end tC
the excessive production in that region
and led to an immediate advance in price,
at the mines and corresponding rise il
the great diamond marts of the world-Am
sterdam. London and Paris, and it look:
now as if the bottom of the decline having
been reached and passed, fine quality o
diamonds at least will continue to steadil,
advance in price, as they have already ad
vanced in London 20 per cent This de
cline is by no means new in diamond his
tory. Precisely the same thing was expe
rienced century ago,
WHEN THE BRAZILIAN MINES WERE DIS
COVERED.
There was as result at first decidct
tall in prices, and afterwards gradual ant
steady advance. AT the time of the Bra
lillian discoveries there was also the sam
kind of prejudice against the new stone
that there has been later against the Afri
can. The old India stones then were thu
great favorites. But they did not exclude
the Brazilian products, the really fine stone
of which rivaled them in purity and bril-
liancy. But when the South African mine
began to yield, their products came int
competition with both India and Braziia
diamonds, and to the disadvantage of tn
African stones. But this prejudice il ben
rapidly overcome.
The old India mines yielded mostly oC
.ahedral stones, while the Brazilian mine
produced dodecahedrals-th india bcin
usually the finest. The first diamond
found in South Africa were of the dodeca
hedral form, and mostly of a yellow cas-
This color being not so valuable and tn
form being unpromising, impressed tn
trade with the notion that all diamonds froi
that section were of this grade. But late
on many octahedrons were found, whic
form prevailed nearly altogether in the re
cent invoices from South Africa, that ar
yielding cut gems equal in every respect I
the old India quality.
There is great deal of humbug abol
expertness in judgment regarding the qua
ity of diamonds, and even many goo
judges of precious stones pretend to kno
more than they really do. Pretended os
perts, it need hardly be said, are 'too /,
merous to mention" Some time ago
diamond dealer appeared in this city wi
was really good judge of diamonds, an
who made it his especial boast that he cou
always recognize an old India stone whei
ever he should see it lie was shown
Lla Il q