The times., 1901-05-26
WAR ON THE JEWEL TRUST.
Americans TO Enter the Field
Against the De Beers Company.
(From the Brooklyn Eagle.)

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 months the
Western Electric Company and the Cen
eral Electric Company, both of which
have offices in New York. viii have
equipped the great diamond mines at
Dtamantina, in Brazil, with the most
modern electrical drills, sieves, separa-
tors washers. and other cOntriYances.
This will be practically the first time in
all the ages that anything like modern
methods have been applied to the dia-
mond mining industry in Brazil.
Many people win suspect some hidden
scheme behind this announced intention
of the mine owners and the American
companies mainly because of the unfor-
tunate fact that during the last decade
the expression Brazilian diamonds has
become identified with mock gems, man
ufactured in the celebrated diamond and
window glass factories at HobOlen, n. j.
AS a 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 produc-
tion of the world. that has been due more
to the archaic methods used by the dia-
mond miners of Brazil than to the scare
ity of valuable gems. Some of the most
valuable diamonds in the world have been
found in Brazil, but it is significant that
every one of them has been found on the
surface of the ground. So primitive are
the methods employed at the mines that a
good big stone would actually stand
more chance of being thrown on the
waste heap than of finding its way to the
lapidary.
OF the ''Iuck-found" diamonds of Brazil
the best known is probably the gem called
The Southern Cross" This stone was
found near the river Abaete, at Bagagem,
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 very much discussed stone,
ffralr Of ha &c. 10 hnK
been cast upon its authenticity. Many
vague descriptions of the great diamond
are extant but few people have ever seen
it and none has been found to say he had
a chance to examine il. There are many
who declare that the great egg-shaped
Southern Cross" is not a diamond at ALL
but merely a remarkably fine specimen of
the white topaz, which is plentiful in
Brazil.
Even if the Southern Cross" diamond
does happen to be spurious. it does not
affect the fact that undoubted diamonds
of value are found in Brazil. There is
in existence a diamond known as the
Abaete brilliant, which, even after cut
ting. weighed 144 carats. It was found
in IT51. In 1858 a negress picked up dia-
mond near Baga gem which weighed 25f1R
carats in the rough. 1t was first disposed
Of for e3 600, but within a very short
time it was in the possession of the Bank
of Rio de Janeiro as an asset representing
g., 500. 900 (about So. 800 000) It then pass
ed into the hands of the Dutch firm of
' an Zandt, at Amsterdam, who submitted
the stone to cutting and polishing. This
process reduced it's weight to 125 carats.
but II was of such remarkable fire and
brilliancy that It took rank as one Of the
great" diamonds of the world. 1t was
later acquired by the Khedive Of Egypt,
but is now said to be in possession of the
Sultan of Turkey.
Diamonds seem to have been first no.
ticed in Brazil about 1902 when Por-
tuguese explorer found the Indians using
the glittering stones as playthings for
their children The explorer collected a
liberal hatful of the "playthings" and set
sail for Portugal, where he realized, and
became a tradition. Somebody else seems
to have been able to recognize diamonds
in the rough, for, IN 1725. it is recorded,
Brazil sent 1000 ounces of diamonds to
Portugal and Portugal, in eager gratitude
was busy passing laws declaring that all
diamonds and diamondiferous ground be-
longed to the Crown. That discouraged
diamond mining for a while, but in 1S4g
Brazils exports of diamonds amounted to
0O.0o0 900 francs.
Now that American energy and modern
machinery are both TO invade the diamond
fields of Brazil, it IS likely that there will
be marked increase in the diamond out
put The De Beers Company. which con
trolls the South African diamond fields
and the reby the diamonds of the world
has de: 'heratefy limited it's output and
kept its prices In the sky. 1t has been
said by those who know that if the De
DttAS Company CllOSc 10 let 20, people
who like diamonds would be able to buy
three carat stones for about SIJ, exclusive
Of duty. If the American invasion of
Brazil proves successful-and II IL keeps
its mines and product out of the hands of
the diamond trust-it seems quite likely
that the price of diamonds will drop to
a fraction Of the present cost. Brazilian
diamonds-when genuine-are said to be
Of greater variety than those of South
Africa Stones with a distinct green tinge
have been found and have realized fancy
prices. Some of the gems are pink, red
blue, yellow, sometimes black; but ali
were fine diamonds. The stones found in
South Africa are nearly always white. or
pale yellow.
Another popularity Of the Brazilian dia-
mOnd is its matrix, or earth In which II
is found. The South African diamonds
are always found in blue clay, or blue
rock; the diamonds Of Brazil are inva-
riably found in a yellow clay, or rock,
which the Brazilians call "cascalho."
Most of the information concerning the
mines of Brazil and the methods
employed there have been obtained by
Sir Richard Burton. the explorer He saw
the possibilities Of the mines, observed
the archaic methods of the miners and
suggested to his hosts, the mine owners.
that machinery would increase the output
one hundredfold. Instead Of being thank
full for the suggestion, Sir Richards s hosts
considered that they had been iusulted by
the insinuation that the methods of their
great -grandfathers were obsolete. They
even carried their resentment to the point
of refusing further hospitality to the Wis
itor.