The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-21
Expert Opinions on the Value Of
tho Stones Recently Found
in Idaho.
New York Lapidaries Say the
Samples Sent Thorn Are
not Diamonds.
An Expert Who says the Ground May
BE saitsd-Ths Old-Time
Excitement

Helena men who have sscured ground In
what IL known as the Idaho diamond fields
will be interested In the report made by
New York lapidsries on the result of tests
made of four Of the stones sent them for
examination. J. G. Fox, Of M. Fox d Co..
lapidaries in Maiden Lane, after q close ex-
animation of the stones said they were
simply rock crystals. He added that this
tsst did not provo there were no diamonds
In Idaho. but simply that those particular
specimens sent him were mot diamonds.
More or less doubt has existed all along
in the minds OF New York jewelers. and
dealers in preeious stones concerning tho
reports from Idaho. Two weeks ago men
upon the field wrote back that "all doubts
AZ to the existence of diamonds In Owyhes
county, on the south side of the Snake
river. seem to have been dispsllsd." San
dorff Kunz. who was spoken of 40 repre-.
sentiuR Won AmerinRsn g. Co.. Of Amster-
dam. the largest diamond house In tho
world. visited the fields. They are about
thirty-fivs miles from Boise City, along
what ia known as Diamond basin. He has
been quoted as saying that the geology Of
the country around the new fields was pre-
cisely the Same as in South Africa, and not
unlike that of Brazil. and that in his opin-
ion the fields would bs larger than those of
Brazil or South Africa. It has been said
he believed the stones picked up to be gen.
uins.
The specimens received by Mr.. Fox were
sent to him by n. M. BogRs, of Boise City.
Mr.. Boggs and his partner went to Snake
river whom the excitement first broke out
and staked off claims. They found thou
sands of people swarming in from all direc-
tions. The wsather was bitterly cold. but
the seekers took every hardship uncom-
plainingly. Many brought pi DIVISIONS for a
long stay and sold part at fabulous prices
until Communication was established with
Boise City. Before that many exhausted
their stores and actually went without food
| for days, buoYed mp by the hope of suddenly
becoming wealthy.
The stones stones sent by Mr.. BoRQs are
said to be fair pies of whnt are picked
up in the fields. They are very small. the
four probably agRreRating carat. Efforts
have been made to secure New York capital
for a stock company interested in the dia-
m0nd fields in PROCESS Of formation in Chi
| caRo. Mr.. Boggs says that an expert re-
port upon tho stones is awaited with q great
deal of anxiety.
few weeks ago q correspondent Of Tif-
fany Co. in Idaho sent on some of the
ined by George Il. Kunz Tiffany d. Co.'s
expert in precious stones. He pronounced
them crystals and they were returned. Mr..
kunz has been confounded with the agent
from Amsterdam. II have not seen dia-
mond," he said. that WAS absolutely cor
fed, however. that fow small diamonds
have been found in the placer digginRs
there of about the same quality and occur
ring under the same conditions as those in
California. In neither region have they
been made the object of special search
heretofore. Those found were picked up
bv miners washing the gravel for gold.
Fragments of diamonds have been occas-
ionallv noticed in the tailings from the
quartz mills, being the remnants of stones
broken under the stamps.
About twenty years ago excitement pre-
vailed for time over Idaho diamonds, and
this seems to be revival Of that old scare.
Local and mining papers during the latter
part of 1865 and the spring of 1866 had
many references to the reported or antici-
rated diamond yield OF that territory.
Small crystals answering to all the usual
tests were said to be abundant in tract of
country some forty miles square, between
Boise City and Owyhee. This is the exact
location, l believe. of the present fever.
After few months the excitement sub
sided and the ordinary quartz-crushing in
dust'y resumed its sway"
fields: while numbers of parties have
gone to the diamond (?) fields in Idaho, it
is y. city certain that the whole excitement
about the gems was On a false basis. 1t is
even believed by some that the ground has
salted. The surface of the basin is be-
strewn with shiny pebbles and quartz
gravel, and several ignorant men have
eagerly gathered mp large quntites of the
worthless stones. Even if diamonds were
to be found in the basin. water for wash
ing them out could not be obtained unless
brought from Snake river at n cost of at
least $4,o00000. Nearly all tho basin
land has been located and claims have been
staked out more than three miles f,om the
basin. The land is located as placer
ground, each claim being fifteen acres in
extent None of the men know anything
about diamond mines, and the experts (?J
only 81 ent an hour or SO at the bnsin. They
then had work stopped at the 'ledges' and
went off to Chicago to organize stock
company.
"Ali this sounds rather 'ishy.' If Mr.
Kulz ia tho expert he is reported to be he
would sea, oely talk about diamond ledges'
in that otf-hand way. because they do not
got diamonds in lodges. Moreover, it does
not look very we'll for him to make an
agreement not to do any more work on the
diamond ledges until he returns from Chi
cago. 1t must be borne in mind that this
Mr.. Kunz il not George Frederick Kunz,
the gem expert of Iiifany's, New York If
any stock company is formed our advice
would be for people not TO buy any stock ut
present. We had n little experience of
this kind in California once which ended
disast ously for all except the promoters. |
Stopping work in the ground and rushing
eff to start stock company is not going to
create nny great confidence in the newly
discovered fields"
THE SLOGAN COUNTRY