The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01
DIGGING BLACK DIAMONDS.
How the Precious Stones Are Unearthed
I'm Brazil.

From tie World v ic Na9qfiAo
The black diamond s an important article
OF commerce. not because IT IS destined To
embellsh tho hand OF feminine grace. but
because of the fact that it has hcea widely
applied in industry where il Is almost as
valuable as the white fellow. The home Of
the bla ok diamond is Brazil the classical land
OF the diamond. the richest beds of the min
eral having been found in the ptovince OF
Ba hin and on the banks and in the bed OF tfc
So o Iosc River
The stone. which is perfectly Opaque, il
not beguiifui and il the ma Sicbl word dia-
mond Ind never bcen applied 10 the substance
there Is no doubt thai 70 This day the black da-
mond would be thing unknown. However.
the favor which this mineral enjoys - OF very
reccr date for twenty years ago lis prop
critics were unknown and The trade IN The
stone was practically nothing
Tho constantly increasing perfection ~
boring Instruments b-ouGh; out the value
OF the black diamond the use OF diamond
point drills now having become so general
TINT the price OF the mineral has IN conse-
quence rapidly increased. To-day the dln-
rnond has become of prime necessity ~ WORK
piercing OF tunnels and galleries and in mines
At the lime Of the Inauguration OF the Lhoo-
ra tory OF Arts and Trades, July /, 1905 Gu
produced surprising results, cutting INTO
thin slices the hardest materials
traces OF The first exploitation OF the mines
by fhe natives. tho Harimperos. Inc black
diamond. however, having no ,comm'Ichi
vnlue. did not attract these people. and they
were apparently ignorant OF the real che--
acter OF the mineral.
From the report Of an engineer who eI
plored the region In 1855 We learn that onse, day
the diamond digsers, discovered a blaok
stone In Sao jose They took the stone 10
one of their huts and sought to discover
It's nature by attempting 20 crack II, All
the most powerful hammers. ana alter
time IL Was thrown back into the river. Inc
stone wei ghed about 10000 oarate, ana Az the
present price OF $40 a carat represents a loss
Tho exploitation Of the razilian diamond
mines by the 0ar1mperos. II is unnecessary,
the rocks are explored with the hand. the
gravel being taken away IN little barrels
which are carried on the head, Attempts
work by diving for the mineral. but the vio-
lence Of the stream il such during the rainy
season that this plan has been but nttle
duoe results and the one which viii shortly
be put in operation is that Of draining. Dams
will be erected 200 feet apart and oentTifugsl
pumps viii be installed foE the pgrpose ,S ..
work cannot be a question OF doubt, Judging
from the past performances OF these diamond
mine
The question naturally arises. why have
the diamonds been found in the Sac JosA7
The answer TO this is not dificult and IL given
when We state that the original rock-whioh
been gradually disintegrated. the. debris
Of thsyrock being carried by rains into The
Sac jose. Because OF their density the black
and white diamonds we're concealed undsI
sories which surround them and which ara
the indications Of the precious stones Thus,
IN the course 81 years, those beds have been
formed, beds the richness OF which is m
a