The record-union., 1891-03-22
DIAMONDS.
Interesting Facts in Regard to the
Sparkling Gems.

interesting Facts In Regard to the
Sparkling Gems.
The Worlds Create st Supply Comes
From African EIelds-How They
Compare With the stones of Col
conda and Brazil Life Among the
Diggers.
There are no less than score of dia-
monds in the world that can really be
called ''great." To each of these is con-
nected story of historical and romantic
interest. Such stones as the Koh-i-Noor,
the Orloff, the Sancy. the Hope or the
Great Mogul have al individuality al
most rivaling a great; parsonage. The
especially large display of diamonds in
cident to the holiday season by the St.
Louis jewelers. naturally calls more than
usual notice to them and their origin.
The most famous in G; listence have come
from Golconda and Bi:azil, but those ex-
ceeding in the average ,size are from the
South African fields. where, also, the
greater number OF Wv hite'' diamonds are
now said TO be found. The notable stones
from these fields are the Stewart" the
/ ''Schreiner' and the 'sStar of South Af-
rlca." The first weighed 2SSE carats in
the rough, the largest unblemished dia-
lnond ever found in 4 frica The claim of
the mine producing lit was sold for $50.
The diamonds color is light straw, and it
Is very brilliant. The 'Schreiner"
weighed more, but WIS of irregular form.
as the Dudley" 1t is of the purest wa
ter. The prevailing color of the African
or Cape diamonds is yellow, ranging
from deep orange to light straw, and
then merging into white. They are re-
1erred to as ''white,' '.cape white" .'bye
water" ''off color' and yellow" Some
diamonds are milky white, and OCCASION
ally pale blue one is found. Brown and
pink are common next to yellow, but are
not held worth much. Almost every
modification OF the system of crystalliza-
ton to which the diamond belongs oc-
ours except the cube. C'ctahedrons, either
perfect or beveled, are Lhe most commons:
next, dodecahedrons,. Twin-stones,
macles and agglomerations of tiny crys-
tails occur frequently.
a curious phenomenon is the "burst-
ing" or splitting of a diamond. This
| oCcuis hoiii iHNeIent causes ana only the
CLASSY stones which have (be it never so
faint tinge of brown in them. They
are usually perfect octahedrons. with
very sharp angles and of much harder
quality than others, except the black,
which seem to be an advanced stage of
the same conditions. sSuch stone comes
clear and brilliant from the mine and
perhaps in an hour little feather or
fracture points toward its center. The
buyer who has been ''Stuck" with such a
diamond no sooner discovers this
feather than he runs out to sell it,
slackening his pace as he nears the door,
and nonchalantly sauntering in and offer
ing it for sale, with the assurance that it
has been out of the mine month; the
nelghbor gets it at a bargain, of course
and few hours later, to his horror. finds
the little feather now streak extending
much further in; he, too, now palms it off
at large loss to himself-and so on. the
diamond always 'going farther and far
ing. worse" till at last il drops in pieces
and brings the largest loss on the last
holder. a beautiful diamond of this ma
ture, though unsuspected. may be laid IN
the box at night and found in numerous
fragments in the morning The "burst-
ing'' is due, probably, to the release from
the great pressure to which the crystal
has been subjected in its closely fitting
rock-casing. The diggers wrap such
stones, as soon as found, in cotton, or,put
| lnefn III OH before Selllng them,
The Cape diamond, unlike the Brazil
ian, has no adhering skin or envelope ::
it shines like piece of bright glass
wherever it is found. There is a delicate
film of infiltrated calcite about those i'm
bedded in the ''blue-stuff'," but this film
adheres to the imbedding rock, and not
to the diamonds. The diamonds from the
river and each of the four mines have
recognizable peculiarities. The former
are invariably water-worn, looking like
ground glass, and noted for being whittier
than other. They bring the highest price
The Cape diamonds, which form the only
real steady supply, all go to London, the
exceeding now even Amsterdam for the
latter work.
Diamonds, as they come from the mine.
are sold in the same town, like fruit from
a garden. Here they are to be had first
hand. The digger, with the treasures of
the mine before his eyes, parts easily
with what he has already obtained He
can get more tomorrow, and there is,
moreover, the ever-preSent hope of that
grand stroke of luck for which he lives.
. The buyer, too, gets his great bargains
out of the large daily produce of gems.
: There are whole streets, along Which
every door is a dealers office-neat little
one-storied buildings of corrugated iron.
with door in the center and a window
at either side. There are two rooms, one
10r sleeping ana the other Tor the trans
action of business; though certain prince
ly merchants are not content with these
humble accommodations. AS rule, all
purchases and sales take place in these
little offices, for there is no general ex-,
change. Unlike gold and other precious
! metals, the diamond has not a fixed
value measured by its weight alone;
! everything depends upon an apprecia-
ton Of the subtlest distinctions of color,
the position OF a spot or a flaw and the
possibility of cutting it out.
The buyers advertisements swell the
columns of the morning papers. Taking
up the Diamond Neacs, one reads that Mr.
Jacob Jacobs ''is prepared to buy all
classes of diamonds; fine, CLASSY stones,
pure, large, yellow stones, and large
cleavage are particularly required. High
est market rates paid" Or, Mr.. Schmidt
is prepared to purchase from his old
friends, the diggers, diamonds of all
classes" etc. White and pure one-carat
stones bring Sl2; ditto two to three-carat
stones, $50 to S25; ditto four-earat stones,
$50 per carat; off-colored stones up to six
carats each, IS to $40 per carat.
Next in importance TO, and far out
+ numbering, the local diamond buyer, is
, the diamond broker, a person who stands
> intermediate between digger and buyer
and between one buyer or merchant and
another. He is one of large and active
5 class. bis percentage of y per cent,
. which yields him from 500 to s.. 600 a
month, according to his ability and en-
/ ergy. represents very large amount OF
! business. He is often a ruined buyer or
: dealer, who takes this means OF getting
too o1