The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-19
DIAMONDS NOT REALLY CHEAP YE1.
Tho Costlicst Stone of Its Size In this Cons.
try-A Valuable Ruby.

try-A Valuable Ruby.
The notion obtains largely that. within q
few years past. diamonds have deprecated
much In value. The South African mines. It Is
supposed, have made them common. A we'll
known connoisseur, being asked whether this
was the fact or not, replied:
1T Is. 30 far as imperfect and ~off-color stones
are concerned. South Africa has made them
much more abundant than they used to be,
and. OF course. in proportion as they became
common their value. small before. was de-
creased. until now you can buy for worry little
money what is undoubtedly q real diamond.
though certainly very far from being q gem. l
fancy that most Of the talk about the dimin-
ished value Of diamonds comes from people
who have been embittered by unsatisfactory
negotiations with pawnbrokers upon the basis
OF stones bought cheaply. Really fine dia-
monds have never been more valuable than
they are now for their numbers have not In
creased at all In proportion to the increase OF
those able to appreciate and to buy them. es-
pscially in this country. Rarity is the first
element Of value in q iamond. and the
worth OF first water or n blue stone Is no
moro affected by the commences OF yellow
diamonds than by tho plentifulness of moss
agatcs or the ease with which chemists can
turn out imitation sapphires and Garnets by
Perhaps If. the yellow diamond were the
not. SO it can be bought for possibly S25 or $50
a carat. while the blue one may go to $4,000 a
eression in proportion to increase OF size and
the buyers desire for it in both eases. of course.
Nothing but extreme rarity gives SC to g certain
Value at Which It is he'd. It only weighs one
carat. but is deemed worth 5000, francs. or
s ssi s,fss f % e Wi,hou sna doubt " n si.5 % sa's would
'"'"Th1oD most valuable. diamond. for its size.
that has ever been in this country is now here
in ior t aslei h ant t Of 2 be nry on il M possiblo jam and nG a
Despair. ! have. boagh, diamonds from him.
this magnificent stone. II you caro- to have 8
look at a gem that is worth remembering all
three and ;hvs-eiGhthss carats. less a thirty:
second; that the, owner has refused over $1,000
or perhaps more, for a match to it, you viii
probably find in those facts a PRACTICAL answer
e sR shs H%Ssss5sn and il A SinmGadfh a RevS Ses ss' 9sne
sacked to find its mate, but thus lar. in
vain ysiqo.t,o A = blue 9o stone snG q its its purity ig n9t q in tint,
g g ss sa5si in the sa' GsPds u u dra RtsTsss ef sS5's smsPs
news sapessfG made eU mention faeat of ".'i pair R'u Of d ine
monds. then in New York. that weighed to
fTfhl as se alassn ike fa5a q pr sna w Sood h bsiSo &c tor ss stonss
that are getting common and cheap. but il is
f ha,,a less s; 3; In propGfr r 5a,s than II the S, Torth hot OF this his
one Of that matched pair It would BIO worth
pair Of fine diamonds Is far more than double
that OF one Of the pair sipgly, two such blue
way. than $4,000"
The promised private view of the wonderful
blue stone was obtained u few days later. 1t
was truly IN amazingly beautiful, gem. well
worthy Of the onthusiasm with which the con-
clamps, for convenience Of handling without
soilipg it's dazzling facets. it was put beside an
Of almost equal size. that alone had appeared a
thing Of matchlcss beauty. Compared with
the re tEa glory Of the other stone. how:
dull. The blue of this matchless gem is Of that
rarest tint that is deemed the absolute perfec-
f hse " ,H pow S'r, and st sa a b b IHs nsso Of eol fs:
All the various and marcellously tinted fires
seemed to dart in vivided and intensified flames
from it's facets. Qniyering IN the spring
s snanksb bf s1Tmns d II sy sroyokegG aS ppntIe Of d iJ5:
sion by which 1t appeared TO diiate and CON
tract. rs II It were pqlsating with lilo;
rather romantic. In 1901 dlsSnpearsi from
among the treasures OF Isabella, OF Spain. hut
palace or was stolen by an officer Of the royal
hoIsseho!d under 3 b cover Of the prevailing dis
1 minsd.. 1t ali Is e Sy nGmf Il a sof 10 Amsterdam sRaS.Sr,
whore 1t was rscut with great Improvement OF
10 sajd Hr IL onsSn and Iso ibsHiasy wE ESsss c jstsr was re;
had bettsred in that interim; But by 1871 her
she had 10 sell it in Paris. A n American gen
tloman bought, it and brought 1t over here.
thinking that no knew of a mate for 1t. but
when III stone 10 had in mind was compared
than blue glass. Back 10 Paris he sent his
gem. to have a mate found Tor it
was continued vain!y all over Europe.
Two OF, three years Ego he got It back,
many iamonds bought in late years by our
forit. There does not, however. seem to DO as
yet any prospect OF realization for. his hope.
Since It hns been in his hands he has had 1t
to another cutting for the perfecting
OF some Of its facets. in which operation it was
previous weight OF go carats.
nubies can hardly BIO said TO have become
ohoap. any more than diamonds. One, owned
In this city, that Is only Jour cnrats in weight,
is esteemed to be worth 5000. and that not
withstandi,nG the fact THAT i is not of the true
color. however. 1t is said to be one Of the most
~faultless rubies In the world.