Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-11-11
Australian DIAMONDS.
II Il Supposed Tkst Great Wealth viii
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Although considerable numbers OF
diamonds are continually being found
il Australia, chiefly in New South
Wales, the true matrix has never been
discovered. In that colony there Is
evidence in every case to show that
the stones were drifted from their
original matrix to the places where
they were found, but up to the present
says Public Opinion. When both have
been ascertained it is probable that
New South Wales will become one OF
the leading diamond producing coun-
tries of the world, but the work OF
prospecting is difficult, tedious and
costly, by reason of the mountainous
character of the country in which
gems are principally found. The I'm
est stones yet known were obtained
several years ago from the Cudgegong
river, rising in the Australian Alps
and running through auriferous coun-
try in the northwestern portion of the
colony. No regular search is being
made at the present time for the
stones, the gold mining industries be-
ing found of a more certain and re-
munerative character, but at Bingera
and other portions of New England
district, in the northern portion of the
colony, diamond mining is actively
carried on, the stones generally being
small and many "off color" Others
of the same kind are found at lnverell,
in the same country. Not few or
the stones obtained at either place
would be classed as first water by the
expert, being white, clear, bright and
free from speck or flaw, but their ex-
IRENE hardness makes the cost of cut
ting expensive in proportion to their
size. Considerable numbers of dia-
monds from Dingera, Inverell and 9TH
er places are annually sold in Europe,
the larger stones bringing good prices.
Thus, Bingera diamond which, when
cut, weighed slightly under a carat.
was disposed of in London for SIS, an
other, with a greenish tinge, weighing
over half carat, when cut, bringing
$50. The stones average about four to
the carat in the rough stote. For dia-
mond drills and similar industrial pur-
poses, the New South Wales stones
are simply invaluable, and are pre-
ferred to those of other diamond pro-
ducing countries. At Mittagong, be-
tween seventy and eighty miles south
Of Sydney, diamonds are found in
1T IA
Some of the stones are of much deep
er tinge than the straw color which
makes them "off," and are regarded
as having a peculiar beauty OF their
OWN as yellow diamonds. In 1895
some good diamonds were found in
one of the western gold districts, whert
some alluvial mining was being car.
ried on at q depth Of from twenty to
fifty feet One of the stones, capablc
of being cut into frst-class brilliant
of four carats, was sold for 1915. Al
though diamonds are met with in nu-
merous places in New South Wales.
often many miles apart from each
other, their sources remain undiscov-
cred to this day. The abraded appear
ance of the stones generally shows
that they must have travelled a con-
siderable distance, although their ex-
IRENE hardness has caused the signs
of abrasion to be less conspicuous
than in Brazilian and other diamonds.
1t is believed that the matrix Of the
Bingera and Inverell diamonds will be
found somewhere near the great di-
viding range, and that as it is ap-
preached the stones obtained will in
crease in size. The ancient river bed |
down which they were carried has yet /
to be discovered.