Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-03-03
FIRST WATER" DIAMONDS.
What the Term Means-variations in
 Quality and Value.

What the Term Means-variations in
 Quality and Value.
 The term first water'' is varied in meaning according to the class of goods carried by the dealer using it. It is now. however, intended to refer to a diamond that Is absolutely free from all trace of color, blemish, flaws or other imper- fections, and whose brilliancy Is perfect. It is almost impossible to value diamond by it's weight. Color, briliancy, cutting and the general character and perfection of the stone are all to be taken into ac- count. Of two stones, both f1awless and of the same weight, one may be worth $500 and the other $12,000. Exceptional stones often bring fancy prices, whereas off colored stones sell for from SG0 to $100 a carat, regardless of size. The poorer qualities have depreciated so much that some are worth only tenth to one-quarter of what they were twenty years ago. This is especially true of large stones of the second or third quality. As an instance of the depreciation of colored stones we remember the famous Dewey diamond, found near Manchester, Va, in 1856, on which the late John Morrissey loaned $6, 900. This stone weighed eleven carats after cutting, but it would scarcely bring as many hundreds today, except for associations.
 To be really fine, diamond should be cut neither too deep nor too shallow Spread, as it is termed), but should be mathematically perfect in its proportions. A dealer usually buys either deep or a spread stone for as much less than the rl1Pn of fhn rOo,-faot eA1 al I. cut from it as will pay the expenses and the risk of recutting. For example, three carat spread or deep stone may furn- ish only two and quarter carat stone of perfect shape, and is, therefore, worth the price of the latter, less the risk and cost of recutting, and not as much, or more than three carat, simply because it spreads over more surface. Very often Brazilian gems, the very finest as re- gards purity, and brilliancy and perfec- tiOn of cutting, yet containing some al- most microscopic carbonaceous fragment or some slight flaw, may be rejected by a person who wishes absolute perfection; but this same person may select a stone that, though perfect in every way, lacks that essential feature of a fine diamond, briliancy, and is almost lustreless when compared with the stone that he had re- jected.
 There are as many different qualities in diamonds as in horses. Diamonds may be round, oval-oblong, rounded squares or square; the cuttings may be mathe- matically correct, fine, fair or poor. A diamond may be of the proper depth or it may be too deep; it may be shallow or spread; it may be perfect; it may be slightly aawed, contain black spots, be brilliant or medium brilliant. Its color may be pure white, milky, steel blue or it may be off color, tinted or bye-water; in fact, there can be many hundreds of differences in a one carat stone.
 As Jefferies, the diamond dealer and authority, said in 1790, the fine diamond should be as clear as pure rock water, perfect in shape, and not only pure white, but lively, showing fire, as it is called. Any undecided tint of brown, yellow, gray or other color is positive blemish. But when the tint is decided, as blue, pink or green, in which case the colors are called fancy" they are held in high estimation.-New York Mail and Ex- | press.