Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-02-26
all ABOUT DIAMONDS.
The Enert. 70 Pr.aae. Them Ars,.
ncially.
BOston Herald

boston Herald.
Trying to make diamonds, says the
New York Times. will beat least, until
they have been made-an interesting
subject to the majority Of men. The
last sffort Of James Mactsar of Glasgow
10 produce diamonds a~rtiHoially is BY NO
means tho first that has been made.
Tho earliest experiments Of any i'm.
portance were recent, however-only 25
years since. Latour and Gannal, the
French chemists, then presented some
pieces OF crystallized carbon to the
Academy Of Sciences, and caused
thereby the greatest excitement, every.
body supposing that the secret Of max.
ing diamonds had been discovered. The
result proved that the small crystals,
although transparent, brilliant, and
harder than quartz, would neither scin.
tillsts nor reflect rays Of light suf-
nciently to render them valuable.
Notwithstanding that they were com.
posed Of the same material a. diamonds,
they had little beauty. They were sub.
mittsd TO the heat tsst, az Maotear's
crystals were, but like his, they under.
went no psrceptible change. Still, only
natural diamonds would scratch them.
Champigny. director Of q celebrated dia-
mond frm in Paris, pronounced them
genuine. whersupon followed the great
diamond panic (l82S). which affected
the whole commercial globe, and which,
doubtless, soms OF our readers remem.
Der. A few years later the French
savant, Despretz. again startled the
world by announcing that he had pro.
duced artificial diamonds. His method
was to AZ q cylinder Of pure carbon to
the positive pole Of a weak Daniel pile,
and . platinum wire 10 the negative
pole. and then plunge both poles into
calculated water. In two months the
negative pole was covered with . black
coating, which was sent to Gaudin
marc Antoine) 10 be tested on hard
stones. Mixed with Q littls oil, the
black particles would polish rubies. and
a. the diamond alone will do this,
Gsudin did not hesitate to declare the
particles diamond dust, . conclusion
generally accepted at tho time by
men Of science. The question. "Csn
diamonds bs made s~rtifoiallyf" 10
still open. aud many chemists
feel SURF that 1t will ere long be
answered In the affirmative by expert.
msnts absolutely successful. They
have already been produced In material,
though not in properties. II is thought
that these may be obtained by cutting
the crystals differently from what they
are now cut. Such Q discovery would
not be much more remarkable than the
discovery made by Euguinsr In 1456. In
producing facets. and perfected by Cos
ter in making the planes on the Kohl.
noor. The effect Of such . discovery
may be oonjectured by reference to the
diamond panic Of 1928. 1t would revo-
lutionize values. and produce o prodi.
gious oommotion In both hemispheres;
but the commotion would abats In due
time, and good would unquestionably
result. The value Of all the diamonds
in royal treasures. in mercantile, titled
and private hands, and elsewhere. Is
~stupendous. It has been estimated at
Ave billions, or, according to the French
Enumeration, 8 1000. 900. 600. To destroy
capital to that amount would upset for Q
time the worlds commerce. were the
capital active. But the capital locked
up In diamonds II wholly dormant.