The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-09-26
DIAMOND REEF REAL.
Seems to Be Genuine Matrix and the
Diamonds No Glacial Travellers.

DldmOnOS NO GLACIAL travellers.
DR.. George F. Kunz, probably the
leading authority on diamonds in
the country, announced that the dia-
mond field recently discovered in
Pike County, Arkansas, was the real
thing, and so far as he knows the
only real diamond reef in the coun-
try.
THE announcement of a diamond
mine discovery here is very serious
thing" said the eminent gem expert.
you know. that the diamonds in
many newly discovered so-called dia-
mond mines have been brought there
either in glacial moraines or by
various people interested. There has
been no locality in the United States
where diamonds have been found in
place. that is, where they naturally
belong. But so far as our investiga-
lions have carried we believe thlt
this Arkansas discovery Is genuine.
Further investigation, of course, is
necessary to prove it absolutely right
and to reveal it's value
An Arkansan, riding along a road,
saw two sparkling stones by the road
side about year ago.
Local talent declared them dia-
mOnds and DR.. KunZ was summoned
to investigate. DR.. Kunz has inves-
tigated the discovery of every dia-
mond in the United States within the
last few years, ascertaining that dia-
monds found in Wisconsin, Michigan,
Ohio, California and in Richmond,
Va, were carried there in glacial
movements. He has written a book
on "Gems and Precious Stones of
North America" and for the last
twenty-five years has written reports
for the Geological Survey. He spent
about two weeks in the Arkansas
county. DR.. H. S. Washington,
geologist and Photographer, was there
for more than month.
"The rock of the formation in and
upon which the Arkansas diamonds
were found is volcanic and igneous,
practically the same as that in South
African diamond Mines" said DR..
Kunz. CDR. Washington's investiga-
tons have proved that this rock is
geologically that in which diamonds
are found. The formation was first
discovered in 1912, was noted as un-
usual, and in 1889 by the then State
Geologist John c. Bremen, was
thought to be of diamondiferous char
acter. It's extent is about 100 acres.
The stones have been found in an
area of thirty or forty acres between
two bikes. A new roadway between
the two hills has cut up the washed
and decomposed rock, and this led to
the discovery.
"We found no diamonds ourselves,
but $50 have been collected, found
in twos and threes. Behring'S 140 and
$50 feet deep which have been made
revealed the same rock. Some OF
the deposits of rock are as large as a
single mine at Kimberley. Only one
stone has been found in the rock it
self, two in the decomposed wash or
broken up rock, and the rest on the
surface. The stones are white, yell
low and brown. The largest, clear
fine white crystal, is about six and
one-half carats weight, while another
just as fine, a beautiful yellow,
weighs four and one-half carats in
the rough"
DR.. Kunz said that an area of 600
acres containing these diamond fields
is held by four or five responsible
men of Arkansas, who are carrying
on the development and investigat-
ing the possibilities. Until these pos
.sibilities are more fully known, DR..
Kunz said, value could not be
placed on the property.-New York
Sun.