The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-29
THE DIAMOND TRUST.
TO BR BROKEN BY AMERICAN
 ENERGY.
Famous Mines of Diamantina, Brazil, to Be Equipped with Modern Electrical Machinery from
 the United States.
BrookIyn Eagle.

4FuoKtyM EaEie.
 American enterprise is likely to break the diamond monopoly which has been so long possessed by the De Beers Company in South Africa. In a few Enonths the Western Electric Company and the General Electric Company. both of which have offices in New York. Miu have equipped the great diamond mlnes at piamantina, in Brazil, with the most modern electrical drills. Sievee. separators, washers and other couErirnncas This will be practically the first time in ali the ages that any, thing like modern methods have been applied to the diamond mining industry in Brazil.
 Many people will suspect some hid- den scheme behind this announced .n- kenfion of the mine owners and the American companies mainly because of the unfortunate fact that during the last decade the expression Brazilian Diamcnds" has become identified with mock gems. manufactured in tho ceie- brated diamond and window glass factories of Hoboixen, x. J. AS matter of fact. however. there are really good, indubitable diamonds to be found in Brazil.
 while the country has never been an Important factor in the diamond production of the world. that has been due more to the archaic methods used by the diamond miners of Brazil than to the scarcity of valuable gems. Some of the most valuable diamonds in the world have been found in Brazil. but if is significant that every one Of them hae been found on the surface ot the ground. So primitive are the meth 'cs employed at the mines that good big stone would actually stand more chance of being thrown on the waste heap than Of finding it's way to inc lapidary.
 Of tfe '.luck found" diamonds of Brazil the best known is probably the nam called ''The Southern Gross. Thss stone was found near the river Aoaete' af BaEagem, in 1900. and is now one of the crown jewels of Portugal This remarkable diamond is said to be as large as a hens egg. It has always been a vury much discussed stone. mainly because of the doubts that have been cast upon its authenticity. Many vague descriptions of the great dia- mond are extanf, but few people have ever seen it and none has been found to say he had chance to examine It. There are many who declare that the great egg-shaped "Southern Cross IS not a diamond at all, but merely a re-
 
 topax, which Is plentiful in Brazil.
 Even if the "Southern Cross" dis- .mond does happen to be spurious, it does not affect the fact that nndouot- ed diamonds Of value are found in Brazil. There Is in existence dia- mond known as the Abaete brilliapt, which, even after cutting, weight IA carats. 1t was found in 17s1. Ip 1853 d negress picked up a diamond near Bagagem which weighed 254 1-2 cafats in the rough. It was first disposed or for E3,000, but within very snort lime it was in the possession of the Bank of Rio de Janeiro as an asset rep resenting R2,500,000 (about $12s5O0, 900. It then passed into the hands of the Dutch firm of Van Zandt. at Amster- dam. who submitted the stone to cut ting and polishing. This process re- dnced its weight to 125 carats, but. 1t was of such remarkable fire and bril- fiancy that 1t took rank as one of the ..great'' diamonds of the world. It was later acquired by the Khedive of Egypt, but is now said to be in possess sion of the Sultan of Turkey.
 Diamonds seem to have been first noticed in Brazil about 1702, when Portuguese explorer found the Indians using the glittering stones as play things for their children The ex- piorer collected, a liberal hatful of the s.playthings" and set sail for Portugal, where he realized, and became tradi- ton, Somebody else seems to have been able to recognize diamonds in the rough, for, in 1725, itis recorded, Brazil sent l,000 ounces of diamonds to PoI- tuEal,, and Portugal, in eager gratl- tude, was busy passing laws declaring that all diamonds diamondifeTous kr "A gIfscouraged diamond mining for while. but in 1S49 Brazirs exports nf diamonds amounted to 3o0.000. 900 francs.
 Nov that American energy and modern machinery are both to invade the diamond fields of Brazil. it is likely that there will be a marked increase in the diamond output. The De Beers Company, which controls the South African diamond fields-and thereby the diamonds of the world-has delib- erately limited its output and kept its prices in the sky. It has been said by those who know, that if the De Beers Company chose to let SC, people who like diamonds would be able tp buy three carat stones for about SIS, exclusive of duty. If the American in- vision of Brazil proves successful, and if it keeps its mines and product out of the hands of the diamond trust, 1t seems quite likely that the price of diamonds win drop to fraction of the present cost. Brazilian diamonds. when genuine, are said to be of greater variety than those of South Africa. Stones with distinct green tingS have been found and have realized fancy prices. Some of the gems are pink. red blue. yellow, sometimes black; but all were fine diamonds. The stones found In South Africa are nearly always white or pale yellow.
 Another peculiarity of the Brazilian diamond is its matrix. or earth. in which s fund. The South African diamonds are always found in blue claw. or blue rock; the diamonds of Brazil are invariably found in yellow