The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-04-09
AS TO AMERICAN DIAMONDS
The Native Variety Docs Exist,
Though Few Have Been
Found.

The Native Variety Docs Exist,
Though Few Have Been
Found.
With the steady increase In the
price Of diamonds and the assurance
on all sides that the advance will con-
tinue for some few years at least come
reports from all over the world of ex-
plorations and examinations looking to
the discovery of a diamond field that
will be fitting successor to the
Consolidated Mining Company's lands
in South Africa. Of all lands In which
diamonds have been, and are being
found, the one in which a discovery of
a diamond mine or district would prove
the greatest surprise to experts ls the
United States.
This is not due to any absence of
native American diamonds, as authen-
tic finds have been made for over
sixty years at least, and will no doubt
continue, but TO the fact that all dis
coveries heretofore have been of single
stones, and the maxim, "not twice in
the same place." is becoming to be
believed as applying more certainly to
Not ouly have the diamonds 30 far
found been isolated stones, but the
geological conditions of the places of
discovery have in many instances been
such as to show the diamond crystal to
be stranger in the neighborhood, or
at last show nothing to indicate the
presence of crystallized carbon.
| Diamond finds have come from no
one or two sections, but have extended
over large territory On the Atlantic
and Pacific slopes and in the North
Central States, On the surface or in
loose material and among deposits of
gravel or earth. All the discov cries
have been of sufficient importance to
excite the interest of the geologist
or mineralogist, as we'll as to cause
comment locally and in the scientific
world, but never have they been large
enough to warrant any speculation
from business standpoint. In fact,
judging from the discoveries of the
past half century, there is no reason to
believe that diamonds can or will ever
be numbered among the important
products of the United States. Never
theless, with each new fud, hope
springs in the breast of the finder thai
he will be second Cecil Rhodes OF
Barney Barnato, and the public gaze
is centered on his locality for shor
time.
According to George f. Kunz, thu
government. gem expert, the authentic
discoveries OF diamonds have all beer
IN three distinct localities, as follows
1. In Wisconsin, Michigan, Indian,
and Ohio, in the vicinity of the Greer
, bay lobe of the continental glacier:
} 2. In Georgia, North Carolina, Soutl
, Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky
and
! 8. In California, adjacent to th
: Watersheds of the San joaquin an
o Sacramento rivers, whore diamond
j. were first found In the United States
The last diamond known TO hav
It been found was two-karat ston
d picked up on land owned by b. i
Hudson, FIVE miles from Columbus
3 Ga, early last November. On Nj
}, Hudson's farm is q field about te
II acres in extent full Of rocks of all d.
{, scriptions. While crossing this M
o Hudson's son found o crystal whic
10 seemed to have peculiar light. II
took 1t TO ". j. Pekor, q jewcler ,
r. Columbus, who after q careful o,
e. animation, thopght 1t might bo