The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-05-23
BLACK DIAMONDS.
A Dealer Furnishes Some Interesting f~c'e
About Them.

"How much would you give for thisI
asked Clerk Moore Of a gentleman stand
inc ON the opposite side Of the ONCE
counter at the Planters hotel Inc ar'i-
Gle referred to appeared to be an lrregu-
larly shaped brown stone less tnan an
inch long and measuring hardly han an
inch at its greatest thickness. Inc gen
tleman addressed took it in his hand
inspected Il closely and shook his head.
THAT may have a value, he answer
ed. but without knowing more about
il wouldn't give you as much as
match or a toothpick for it To me IL
looks like brown pebble worn smooth
all around by the water.
The "pebble' was black diamond
worth al, 200. Il was one Of nearly 100
carried by Henry Demmert, a guest at
the hotel ffom New York city.
The general superstition is that the
greatest diamond mines Of the world
are in South Africa. And so they are
but nevertheless the firm Of which Mr..
Dcmmert is general head and manager
exports more diamonds to South Africa
than to any other part of the globe. The
EXPLANATION is easy Mr.. Demmert s
Diamonds are not Of the kind used az
headlights for shirt fronts. The place OF
their greatest utility is underground IN
mines, where starched shirt bosoms are
practically unknown. South Africa
doesn't produce thee, but it could not
we'll get along without them.
BLACK diamond is the hardest sub
stance known" said the gentleman.
eve can bore hole feet deep in three
minutes through Georgia marble, the
kind of which this hotel floor is made.
We can saw off a slab IA feet long from a
block 3 feet thick in less than an hour.
A good many feats can be performed
with it now that could not few
years ago. The business is only about ~
years old, and improvements are con-
stantly being made in it, We take these
rough stones such as you have just seen
and split them by machinery in way
that was unknown until recently. The
split must follow the grain. If it does
not, half of the stone will be wasted.
Each stone is split into cubes of different
sizes The cubes are then welded into
mining drills if they are to be used foi
boring. The iron is cast about the dia
mond so that it cannot get loose. In the
same way we make diamond saws
They are circular saws. Every tooth II
q black diamond cube. 1t is fastened
ON when the iron portion of the saw il
in a molten state.
"Where do we get themf Why, il
Brazil. All black diamonds come from
that country. The attempt to make then
artifcially has proved failure in ever,
instance, and that will be the result o
every trial hereafter. / don't say it i
impossible, but that it is impracticable
The cost will always be greater than tn
market price of the Brazilian diamond
even if the advance of the last tw
months should be duplicated every tw
months for year to come. The caus
of the recent advance you aski 1t wa
the increased demand for drills i
johannesburg, South Africa, that did il
Fifty new drills have been set at wor
in that mining district alone since Al
gust, and the result has been to rails
the price per carat from $40 to $2l
About all the diamond drills Of that di.
trict were furnished by or indirectl
through myself, and Of course am in
position to know the situation. "
, Black diamonds weigh ordinarily
says Mr.. Demmert, less than 100 carat
, ranging all the way down to half ca
, at, but now and then a regular jumbo
found. The largest in existence WI
} found only short time ago, its weigl
| being 5000 carats. The diamond W,
sold to museum in Europe for $40
900. st. Louis Globe Democrat.