The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-02
ABOUT DIAMONDS.
Some Curious Experiments Some
times Made with Them.
New London Answers.

New London Answers.
With the single exception of the yellow
metal-gold-there is probably nothing in
nature around which human interest CEN
tiers itself more strongly than around
diamonds. The scientist. however. in
spite of the fact that specimens TO operate
upon cost rs per grain, regards the spark
ling crystals of carbon with critical eyes,
and in his laboratory in the cause Of
science, he experiments with these brill
liant objects with just as much interest
as if they were so many crystals of COM
mon salt, sulphur or alum.
No one would suppose, judging from
their outward appearance or physical
properties, that lump of charcoal, a piece
of black lead and a diamond had any
relationship to each other, and yet it has
been proved beyond dispute that their
chemical constitution is identical. They
are simply three distinct notifications
of the non-metallic carbon.
To prove the relationship many queer
experiments have been made with these
valuable crystals. They have been burned
resulting carbonic acid gas being care
fully collected and weighed The favor
lite experiment for proving the constitu-
quantity in small platinum saucer,
which is inserted in the porcelain tube
of a specially constructed miniature fur
mace.
The tube is heated strongly, and a
stream of oxygen gas allowed to pass
through IT, the products OF the, combus-
ton of the diamond being collected in
bulbs of cauStic potash.
The diamond disappears, but the pot
ash bulbs increase correspondingly in
weight by the absorption of the resulting
carbonic acid.
Other and more reckless experimenters
have plunged diamonds into the flame of
an arc electric light, when the intense
heat of the electric light has burned them
like pieces of finder. Another strange
experiment with diamonds has been to
convert specimens into a black mass re-
sembling coke by heating them strongly
in an atmosphere of nitrogen, a sub
stance incapable of acting upon them
chemically.
1t is not generally know that it is
characteristic of the real article that
when touched with the tongue it is cooler
TO the touch than either paste or glass
limitations.
Although the diamond is the hardest
substance known, it is not advisable to
test its hardness by striking 1t with a
coal hammer, as these valuable carbon
crystals are very brittle and easily shat
tered by a blow.
This remarkable quality of hardness
gives the diamond an unique position
among precious gems, as it enables it
to be successfully turned to practical ac
count in everyday life, its most strange
use, perhaps, being the following: The
the longest in the world, made at that
time what was thought to be a queer ex-
pertinent when they substituted diamond
drills for those they had been using, in
order to bore more cheaply and quickly
the very hard rock in the heart of the
mountains
That the experiment was successful may
be gagged from the fact that the cost
of diamond-drll boring per yard worked
out at a cheaper rate than when steel
drills were used.
The scientists, not satisfied with finding
out all about the constitution and prop
critics of the diamond, has also tried his
hand at their manufacture. Some years
since a Glasgow chemist astonished the
ROYAL Society, and the world generally,
nv announcing that he had discovered a
method of manufacturing real diamonds.
Although the specimens of his manufac-
ture that he exhibited were undoubtedly
real. they were very small. Subsequent
investigators have also worked in the
ga me field, but hitherto it has been found
cheaper to dig than to manufacture these
However, to anyone fortunate enough
70 discover a successful method Of manu-
featuring the present market quotations
az from f7OO0.00O to sf0.000.0O0 per ton ought
to have a sufficient margin Of profit TO
satisfy the most graspng.