The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-07-14


the black diamond, while the
81 United States is its largest
@ market. 1t is found in La
Chapada and Lavras districts
Of the province of Bahia, Brazil,
where it is mined from river beds and
other alluvium. The miners sell their
find to agents of exporting firms in
the city of Bahia. 1t is calculated that
this port ships annually about $4,000
900 to $4,600,000 worth Of black dia-
monds, and, with the adoption OF
modern methods and machinery in
place of the extremely primitive ones
formerly employed, the industry will
be tremendously stimulated. About
twenty-five years ago stone OF 1,1OO
carats was found, followed by one OF
1,7O0 carats, and in 1895 a gigantic
stone of 3,07S carats, or 615 grams,
which was purchased by New York
house for 1000 and broken up into
pieces of suitable size for diamond
drills. At present prices this stone
would be worth about $262,000. Dur
ing the past ten years stones of 400
to 500 carats have been discovered,
while they are frequently found weigh
ing from 100 to 200 carats.
Previous to 1870 carbonado was
practically valueless. From 1870 to
1872 it was employed as an abrasive
for cutting and polishing the white
gems, and thousands of carats were
sold at so cents per carat, to be crush
ed to powder for this purpose. A few
years later, when carbOnado was EN-
from 50 to $4 a carat Between 1885,
and the present the market value has
f1uctuated between $25 and $85 carat
this high price being caused by the
decline in the supply of carbonadO il
the past ten years, while the demand
has increased. In connection with the
subject of black diamond consumption
in drilling, it is interesting to remarl
that in digging the drill hole at Eyb
mix (ParuschOWitz), Upper Silesia
which attained a depth of nearly 700
feet, upward of $4,000 worth of car
bonadO was used.
, The conditions are entirely differ
ent from those of Africa. The grave
sand, and other material containing
diamonds lie in or near the beds O
streams and rivers, and have bee
washed down by erosion from hig
''chapadas" or plateaus, which ar
probably the original matrix in whic
Brazilian diamonds were formed. A
is natural, gold and a variety Of othe
substances, such as itacolumnitt
olivine, limestone, hematite, granite
gneiss, and clay are associated wit
the diamonds. The diamond bearin
material of Brazil consists of col
glomerate, sometimes interbedded wit
hard yellow sandstone, which is wasl
ed down through erosion by rivers, o
in some cases, may be badly decon
posed and rotten rock. Fossils al
generally lacking. The deposits ofte
consist of schists and schistose cla
diamond-bearing clays, reddish cart
granite and gneissic formations, al
pebbles of various sorts
The states of the republic whic
have yielded diamonds are Nina
Geraes, Parana, Bahia, Goyaz, an
Matto Crosse. 1t is in the first name
that Diamantina. celebrated for tt
rich diamond mines in its vicinity,
situated. The city Is we'll built ar
lies at the headwaters of the Jequiti
honha, or Diamond, river, a strea
$50 miles long, which empties into IL
Atlantic at Belmonte. To the east
Diamantina is the peak of Moul
ltambe, $3.50 feet, in the Sierra Espi
aco Range. The mines are situate
north of Rio de Janeiro, 800 xii
meters, or 497 miles, north of Ou
Preto, the capital of Minas Gerae
The territory in which they are sit
ated forms vast ellipse, 80 xii
meters, or so miles, by 40 kilometel
or 25 miles, in a plateau 1000 to 1,2
meters (3,2S0 to 1897 feet), conta1
ing a number of valleys cut by Il
Jequintinhonha and its left tributarie
Ribeirao do Inferno, Rio Caethe, ct
and also by the Sac Francisco's
fiuents which flow to the northwest,
a very different basin.
Although diamond mining has be-