Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-11-28
For the Freeman.
Precious Stones.
by DIR. HIRAM A. CUTTING
THE DIAMOND.

by DIR. HIRAM A. CUTTING,
THE DIAMOND.
This gem is more highly priced than
INV other, yet it is pure carbon, and may,
Ike coal, be burned. 1t is the hardest Of
III minerals, and varies in shade from the
purest transparent crystal through various
blades of pink and yellow to dense black.
Plumbago of which lead pencils are made
i also nearly pure carbon, having trace
81 iron, or perhaps properly q carburet Of
Iron, but the iron is only about two per
eent of its weight, though it often CON
aims other impurities foreign to its sub
tancc. Thus we see that coal and plum
bago are, in their composition, akin to the
aiamond, and all may be burned up or
hanged by combustion. The first diamond
which was purposely destroyed by fire
vas burned in the focus of burning glass
Ia the condensed rays of the sun.
The formation of this gem is in doubt
but it is supposed that it has probably
proceeded like mineral coal and oil from
BE slow decomposition of vegetable ma
erial, or possibly from animal matter that
would afford the requisite amount of car
bon. 1t is found exclusively in gold-bear-
Ing regions, or in sands derived from gold
bearing rock, and is crystalized carbon.
A very large amount of the world
capital is represented by precious stones
and when say what believe, that ninety
Der cent of this capital SO invested is il
diamonds, you will at once see that thei
Estimated value is much above that of any
Dther gem.
The diamond is weighed by carats. This
word and weight is of Indian origin, {
kirat being small seed that was used il
india to weigh diamonds with. Fou1
brains are equal to one carat, and six ca
bats make one pennyweight. But there il
no standard price for carat of diamonds
Competition alone arranges that, ant
when of the finest order the price increase
with their size much more rapidly than th'
square of their weight, which used to b.
The old English rule of values.
The commercial value of diamonds i
always figured on the gold standard. ant
pancs that shake empires and overthrow
trade seldom, if ever lower the price o
this prince of precious stones. In fact, nj
one can have personal property so apt II
remain unchanged in money value as tn
diamond.
In the United States fine crystals hav
been found in North Carolina, and also il
California, but many more in South Amer
lea, yet the quality is not as good. 1t
probable that the largest and finest hav
been found in Asia, but many of the be>
have an uncertain history. All eyes nov
burn to Africa for this precious stone, an
the richness of the diamond fields of Sout
Africa are certainly fabulous. 1t is n
more than four years since a traveller i
South Africa stopped one night at Boor'
house He found the children playin
with pebble that looked like diamond
He bought it for trihe, the Boor sayin
thqt it was diamond, they could g
plenty more, and took it away. He sol
It AT the Cape for three thousand dollars
He bought another from u negro, whic
he sold for fify-five thousand dollars, m
then the natives began to search for thes
stones where they had previously see
them. The white men heard Of thei
success, and then the rush begun. On
mine after another, all in the same neigl
borhood, was found, and around each min
a city sprang up. The last, and thu
which is the centre of the diamond trade
is Kimberley.
Comparatively few Of the purest crys
tails are found here. as many have a yello'
hinge, but it has been feared that the mai
ket would be overstocke from the gre'
humber thrown upon it from this source
Diamonds, from the time Alexander Oh
dered pieces of flesh TO be thrown into tn
Inaccessible valley of Zulmeah, that til
vultures might bring them up with til
precious stones attached, have everywher
ranked among the luxuries of II refine
cultivation.
1t is even related in the Talmud of Noa
in the ark that he had no other light tha
that which came from precious stones. A
the diamond reflects all the light whic
Strikes the back planes, at an angle e.
ceedng about twenty-four degrees, it
Exceedingly brilliant; much more so tho
any other precious stone. 1t is also tt
hardest known body. Pliny says that
struck on an anvil with Il hammer that
will split the hammer; but while it wou
make dent in or scratch the harde
steel, such blow would shiver it to atom
ia VI dJ l6d5L SLdllu u ClldIlCo W w oO' ~ VI
be cut and polished only by its own du'
as no other substance will make any il
preston upon it,
With this preliminary l will menti,
some of the most noted diamonds in Il
world: The largest one known, that
the Rajah of Matan. in Borneo, weig
three hundred and sixty-seven carats.
is egg-shaped, of the finest water. and
valued at one hundred and fifty thouSal
pounds in gold; or rather, that sum h
been refused for il.
The second in size is the "Orloff,' son
times called the Moon of the Mountain
1t weighs one hundred and three cara
and is the size OF a pigeons egg, and
lu,tre and water are of the finest,
shape is not perfect. The Great Mog
once owned it. Then it passed by co
quest into the possession of Nadir, Il
Shah of Persia. In 1747 he was assa
sinated and all his Jewels stolen. VIII
became of this great diamond was long
mystery, but one day chief of the Anga
ians walked into the presence of ri
Armenian gentleman in BalSora, and pr
posed to sell him some jewels. Amor
them was the great "Orloff' damon