The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-16
10 TELL The DIAMOND.
How Color and Shape Determine
the Value and Quality Of
Precious Stones.
Ten Tons Of These Valuable Little
Gems Dug Out in South
Africa.
The Shades of Color known to Conpois-
seurs-How a Diamond is
Put in Shape.

To the average reader it stands, white
diamonds and those that are off color. But
to the miner, sorter, dealer, cutter and con-
noisseur there are diamonds and diamonds,
and again diamonds and diamonds almost
infnitum. Beginning with the various
colors with which these morsels of carbon
are tinted, there are to be found on sale at
the shops of dealers in these goods the fol-
lowing varieties: White, yellow, brown,
blue, black, green and pink. The first men,
toned, white, are the most plentiful, and
at the same time next to the highest priced
sort, and are the kind referred to, as rule.
when diamonds are spoken of. The price
are graded all else being equal, in the fol-
lowing manner. the first being the cheapest:
Yellow brown, pink and blue white, black
and green.
The yellow diamond is to be had in many
shades, from the faintest tinge to beauti-
fully brilliant canary color. There ara also
two shades of yellow, which might be denom-
mated side shades or coiors, the greenish
yellow and the browrish yellow, both of
which are very beautiful. The white dia-
mond is hard to describe in regard to its
standings, and experts, when questio ned re-
pard1ng the masI6f, DuL Say. OTo StOU6 ID
whittier than another only by comparison,
and the difference, is to be seen only by
placing them side by side.'' The brown
diamond is next i'll the list, and is to be
found i'll varying shades from a mere hazi-
ness to walnut wood color. The blue dia-
mond is blue and not. as some might irnag-
Inc, simply blue white. It also runs a
scale of shades, although not dipping so
deep as some. The pink tinted diamond is
a very beautiful stone and is to be had in
shades FROM the palest to rose pink.
The green diamond is an aqua green,
and also is multiple in shades.
The black diamond is left to the last for
description of color. because it has peculi-
arity not obtained by any of the others.
The range of the shades exhibited by these
stones is not SO extensive as In the previous
" mentioned. The black diamonds are all
Opaque, the blacker the stone the greater
the opacity and this is an oddity which no
other diamond possesses.
The rarity of the several varieties of dia-
monds is about as follows, the most plenti-
full coming first: Yellow. white, brown,
diamond is to be had Of much larger size
than any kind excepting the white It is
softer than any but the brown, with which
it stands in q level in that respect. There
green diamonds, which is suggested by
the mention of the yellow stone,
and is this: While yellow diamonds often
exhibit greenisk cast, so do the green's re-
bNIA LILO COIAp4AulcAV Wy oAAlDlUAuS y0l-
lowishness.
Regarding the many points by which the
expert IL able to distinguish the diamond
from any other stone or pebble, few Of
the more salient will be described. Man,
persons imagine that every diamond in thu
rough-that is uncut-has surface resemb
ling ground glass. and that they are shaped
more or less like hens egg, either natura
shaped or hattened in one of its transverse
diameters. But such is very far from cor
rect. The facts are rs follows: There ar,
two classes of diamonds in the rough
travellers and those who have not trav
elled.
By the term traveller one means
when speaking of diamonds. one that ha
been removed from the original bed o
matrlx, land becoming an outcast on tn
face of the earth" has roamed hither an,
yon, as circumstances and its surrounding
compelled. These are the diamonds which
have the ground glass; or opaque sur
face, and also have the edges ant
points more or less worn away by. as he'll
by many experts, the constant harsh contac
with surrounding objects, be they wha
they may, and which have a similitude t
an egg. The other class OF diamonds I'll
the rough are those. recently remove
from the. "matrix,'' or else having been re
moved for some time have lain quietl
where they fell.
'Knurling" as it is called in the trade
is one of the main points by which tru
diamond is known. The 'knurling'' II
sembles. as nearly as anything known to til
writer, the spiral to be found on the legs c
some old-fashioned mahogany tables an
chairs. Although not SO complete and dis
tinct, still it is very easily perceived whe
looking at the uncut diamond as it was II
moved from its bed of rock. ''Thi
"knurling" is ever present in the VI
travelled and bright diamond in the rough
for the untravelled stone is of the brillianc
and has much of the appearance of
piece of broken hint-Rlass. Another M
mistakable token by which tn
gems are ..ken'dn is their six points. A
though rough diamonds have each an
every one its own peculiar shape, yet to
degree they have somewhat similarity /
makeup. To get a fair idea of what
rough diamond is like in shape, all one ht
to do is to take square mat of soft good
double thick, and grasping the centre of eac
side with thumb and forefnger draw thel
apart some distance until it gives the deck
ed .'six point to the mat. In some case
what is generally the long diameter Is n
SO long as a transverse diameter.
The color and quality. as also the pre-
ence or absence of bubbles or flaws, is cas-
ly distinguished in rough diamonds as We
as In the finished stone. DIAMONDS am, ,l9Is q
gray colored rock. This rock is not
very hard substance, and is covered in Il
diamond fields or mines by " s.nale
Mnaa as si ans
canals reaching from what was a boilil
cauldron below the earth's surface, caus'
during the time the earth was in a state
ebuiiition, much nearer its surface than
the present day, by the gases confined see
ing an outlet, much after the same mann
as the mud springs of the Yosemite VI
ley We're caused.
The South African mines are the create
producers of diamonds the world knows {
and since their opening, but a few yea
since, over ten gross tons of ''solidifed ca
bonic acid'' have been dug and shipp
from them to the various points of t
world. 1t is estimated by experts that S.
OOO.Ga0 yearly is the minimum expended
those purchasing diamonds for the ador
ment of themselves or others. These Fl
ures simply include what might be term
returns Of the retail trade. The figures
the mining and wholesale trade mest ?
necessity be much larger when one undi
stands the workings of the 'diamo
trade
Sunday Excursions.
Attention is called to the fact that