where to find them we could doubtless discover richer gems than any
of those now known. The earth which contains the diamond is worked
in the same way as the auriferous gravels, both having been produced
by the same causes. Gold occurs in the beds or streams, by the
disintegration of the rocks, in which it was originally contained,
and their gradual wearing and washing away. Diamonds were originally
contained in the rocks in the same way that gold was held there, and
the process of disintegration has been pretty much the same. Many
of the places where gold is found contained diamonds; and in some
localities in California the sands are now being reworked to obtain
any small particles of gold that may have been left, and also to
obtain diamonds. The original gold-seeker looked only for the yellow
metal. The gold-seeker of to-day searches not only for gold, but for
hard pebbles, which may prove rough diamonds.
[Sidenote: WHERE DIAMONDS ARE FOUND.]
Diamonds are found in various parts of the globe. The most celebrated
diamond regions are those of India, South Africa, and Brazil. The
Indian diamond mines are in various localities, the most famous being
in the vicinity of Golconda. They have been exploited for thousands of
years, and some of the stones now in existence have a history dating
back two thousand years before the Christian era. The diamond mines of
Brazil have latterly yielded more extensively than have the Golconda
mines. At one time, a slave at work in a Brazilian mine struck with
his pick a bed of diamonds which were valued at nearly two millions
of dollars. They were carried to England, and caused a panic in the
diamond market. The supply was the largest ever known to come forward
at one time, and greatly frightened the holders of precious stones,
not only in England, but all over the continent of Europe. If any
individual could be so fortunate as to find a few million dollars’
worth of diamonds at one time, he could create an alarm among the
dealers in precious stones from one end of the world to the other.
The work of obtaining diamonds is not by any means the easiest in
which a man can engage. About the hardest way in the world to obtain
gold is to dig for it, and the same may be said of diamonds. In the
Brazilian mines the earth consists of sand and gravel in the beds of
the streams. It is taken out in the dry season, and piled away where
it can be conveniently washed. Then in the rainy season the washing
begins. Sometimes the men work by hand, as it were; that is, by
taking a quantity of earth in a bowl, or pan, and then, standing in
the middle of the stream, under the eye of a vigilant overseer, they
slowly wash away the sand and dirt, until nothing but pebbles remains.
[Sidenote: DIGGERS AT WORK.]
The pick and shovel are used for breaking up the diamond-bearing
gravels, just as they are used for breaking up earth which contains
gold. The water carries away the clay, and sand, and fine dirt. The
large stones are thrown out, and the finer gravel that remains is
carefully picked over. It is examined in the sunshine, where the light
plays upon the gems, and leads to their detection. The search for the
diamond is always conducted under the eye of a superintendent, so as
to guard against theft. Each diamond-seeker has a little case, made of
reed, and generally ornamented on the outside. The small diamonds are
placed in this case, and every negro who possesses a case which has
once held diamonds is very unwilling to part with it. He regards it
with a superstitious reverence, believing that when it once contains
precious stones it will lead to the discovery of more.
The earth which has been gathered up for washing, if it is not worked
immediately, is placed under a long shed, and when the rainy season
begins, and water becomes abundant, the slaves are assembled for their
duty. In the diamond district of Brazil the sheds are generally about
thirty yards long, and half as wide. They consist simply of upright
posts, and a thatched roof, erected over the spot where the heaps of
gravel are placed. A stream of water is conducted through this shed.
There is a range of sloping troughs, each about three feet wide,
connecting with the streams at the upper end. Opposite the troughs
there are high chairs, where the overseers are stationed.
A slave at each trough takes about a bushel or so of the gravel, and
lets the water in slowly, in order to wash away the gravel and earthy
particles. Then he throws out the largest stones, and examines the
rest, with great care, for diamonds. Whenever he finds one, he stands
upright, clasps his hands, holding the stone between his thumb and
finger, and shows it to the overseer, who receives it.
When a slave finds a stone exceeding seventeen and a half carats
in weight, he is immediately set at liberty. Free papers are given
him, and he cannot again be enslaved. Generally, on such occasions,
a holiday or half-holiday is granted to the negroes about the
establishment. The lucky finder is carried on the shoulders of his
comrades, and when the day ends most of them are in a condition the
reverse of sober.
[Sidenote: DISCOVERY IN BRAZIL.]
In the diamond district of Brazil the diamonds were first discovered
by gold miners, about the year 1730. At first they were ignorant of
the value of the gems, and threw them away as useless. Some of the
stones were sent to the governor of Brazil as curiosities. He supposed
that they were crystals, and by accident a few were carried to Lisbon,
where they happened to be shown to the Dutch consul. The consul was
a diamond sharp, and recognized the true character of the stones. He
immediately caused them to be sent to Holland, where they were cut,
and found to be of great value.
As soon as the character of the stone became generally known, large
quantities of them were gathered and sent from Brazil, and at one time
it seemed as if the diamond market would be ruined. The Portuguese
government took means to secure a monopoly of the trade. The diamond
district was surrounded by well-defined boundaries, which were guarded
with the greatest care. No one was permitted to cross them without a
permit from the superintendent of the mine, and whenever a traveller
who had visited the diamond ground was leaving it, he was obliged to
submit to a thorough examination of himself and baggage. So great
was the vigilance, that, it is said, at one time every traveller
leaving the district was detained three days at the boundary, and
was compelled to swallow medicines whose effect was to prevent his
absconding with any precious stones concealed in his stomach.
A peculiar system was established for the regulation of this
district. Stringent laws were passed to provide for the registering
of the inhabitants, the admission of settlers, and the punishment of
infringements of every kind upon the government monopoly. At first
the diamond mines were rented to private individuals; but so many
frauds were practised, that the government took the matter into its
own hands, and worked the mines under officers of its own appointment.
At present the mines are open to anybody who chooses to work them,
on payment of a tax, which is placed not on the amount of diamonds
obtained, but on the number of men employed. This method of collecting
the tax is much more successful than the old one of levying a royalty
upon the diamonds. The number of men employed can be readily counted,
while, the diamonds being small, they could easily be secreted, and
the payment of the proper tax evaded.
[Sidenote: THE GOLCONDA MINES.]
In Asia the most noted localities for obtaining diamonds are in
various parts of India and the Island of Borneo. Two thousand years
ago the mines of Golconda were the richest on the globe; but for some
time they have been comparatively unproductive.
[Illustration: WORKING A DIAMOND CLAIM IN BRAZIL.]
[Illustration: RIVER WASHING—CRADLING FOR DIAMONDS.]
The working of these mines is carried on very nearly in the same
way as the working of the mines of Brazil. In the Brazilian mines
the slaves and overseers are permitted to wear clothing, though the
slaves are allowed but a very small quantity. Formerly they were
compelled to work naked, to prevent their secreting diamonds. At the
present time the garments they wear are subjected to the most careful
examination. In the mines of India the laborers work entirely nude;
but the temperature is such that they do not suffer on account of the
absence of clothing. In spite of every precaution they manage to steal
diamonds. They secrete them in the hair, unless their hair is cut very
short. They push them into their noses, and hide them in various parts
of their bodies, and in other ways.
In one of the mines of Borneo there was once a laborer who managed
to steal several valuable diamonds. As he wore no clothing when at
work, and underwent the usual examination, he was considered entirely
safe. He escaped with his prizes, became a rich man, lived contented,
and died happy. In his old age he revealed the secret of his diamond
thefts.
[Sidenote: INGENIOUS MODE OF STEALING.]
He had prepared himself for the work with the assistance of a surgeon,
who shared with him the proceeds of the enterprise. The surgeon placed
a ball, somewhat larger than a pea, in the fleshy part of the man’s
thigh; kept down the irritation as much as possible, and allowed the
flesh to grow over the wound, or nearly so. The ball was then taken
out, leaving a comfortable cavity a quarter of an inch below the skin.
A small opening was made, and the skin at the opening was allowed to
grow around a steel rod about half as large as the diameter of the
cavity. In this way a very fine receptacle was formed for the deposit
of the diamond.
It took some time to get it up, but when finished it was entirely
satisfactory, and the man was sure of having his pocket always
about him. When he found a diamond that could be crowded into this
cavity, he would manage to stow it away; and then, at the earliest
opportunity, he repaired to the office of the surgeon, where the
diamond was removed with the aid of a pair of forceps. They did not
strike for the largest diamonds, and were doubtless more successful in
this mode of working than if they had planned their enterprise on a
grander scale.
It is a general principle in chemistry, that when the component parts
of an article are well known, a counterfeit can be produced, provided
the component parts are attainable. But it is not so with the diamond.
For hundreds of years chemists have labored to produce this stone.
They know perfectly well of what it is composed, but they cannot
repeat it. The diamond is nothing more than pure crystallized carbon,
and placed under a great heat it boils and disappears. It is not acted
upon by acids or alkalies, and when kept in the open air, it may be
heated to a high degree without damage. Exposed to the intense heat
produced by a Bunsen burner, it is converted into coke; and if it is
heated in the open air, it boils at the temperature of melting silver,
and disappears in the form of carbonic acid gas. If the sun’s rays are
converged to a focus by means of a lens, and directed upon a diamond
under a bell-glass filled with oxygen gas, the diamond will burn; and
when it is consumed, carbonic acid will be found beneath the glass.
Thus the most precious substance in the known world can be made to
disappear.
[Sidenote: HOW TO KNOW THE VALUE OF DIAMONDS.]
The diamond is sold by its weight, estimated in carats,—a carat being
equal to three and one fourth grains Troy, and subdivided into half,
quarter, eighth, and so on. It is difficult to say what a rough
diamond is worth, since a great many reasons may occur to cause its
fluctuation in value. The ordinary estimate for a cut diamond is sixty
dollars a carat, that is to say, when the stone weighs a single carat.
The price of the diamond exceeding a carat is not in proportion to
its weight, but by the square of the weight, that is to say, to the
weight multiplied by itself. Thus, if a diamond weighing one carat is
worth sixty dollars, one which weighs two carats is worth 2 × 2, and
then multiplied by sixty, or two hundred and forty dollars. A stone of
three carats is worth 3 × 3, multiplied by sixty, or five hundred and
forty dollars. The value, therefore, of a polished diamond is found by
multiplying the square of the weight by the price of a stone of one
carat. This is the rule generally given for the pricing of diamonds;
but the value of each stone varies more or less according to its
character, so that one stone weighing fifteen carats might be worth
three or four thousand dollars more than another stone of the same
weight. The best rule, probably, for obtaining the price of diamonds,
is to ask a man who has them for sale. Diamonds are sold very much
like any other commodity, that is, for the highest price the purchaser
is willing to pay.
Diamonds, especially those of a large size, require, it is needless to
say, great care in keeping, to save them from being stolen. The crown
jewels of England are kept in the Tower of London in an iron cage
surrounded with glass. Some of them are of great antiquity. The crown
jewels include not only diamonds, but some valuable rubies, sapphires,
emeralds, and pearls. The crown contains a heart-shaped ruby, which is
said to have been given to Edward the Black Prince by Don Pedro, King
of Castile, after the battle of Najera, A. D. 1367.
[Sidenote: FAMOUS STONES.]
It was afterwards worn in the helmet of Henry V., at the battle of
Agincourt, in the year 1415.
The crown jewels of France disappeared in 1792, during the troubles of
the first republic, though they were kept under seal, and in the royal
treasury. Some of them were afterwards found buried in an obscure
place, which was named in an anonymous letter sent to the prime
minister. The famous Regent diamond was in this casket.
The Regent diamond is probably the finest and best cut stone in the
world, though it is not the largest. It was named after the Duke of
Orleans, who was regent during the minority of Louis XV. The regent
bought it, in 1717, for one hundred and thirty-five thousand pounds
sterling. It was sold to him by Governor Pitt, who paid twelve
thousand five hundred pounds for it in India five years before. Its
weight before cutting was four hundred and ten carats, and the process
of cutting occupied two years. Its weight was reduced to one hundred
and thirty-six carats, and its present value is estimated at a million
dollars.
Pitt was an unhappy man during the five years he owned the stone. He
carried it with him constantly. He never made known his movements a
day beforehand, nor slept for two nights successively in the same
house.
Another diamond, quite famous in its way, is the “Sancy.” It fell
from the helmet of Charles the Bold at the battle of Granson, and
was picked up by a Swiss soldier. The soldier disposed of it for two
francs, and thought he had made a very good bargain. In 1589 it was
bought by De Sancy, treasurer to Henry IV. of France. In 1792 it
was stolen, and after various adventures, was bought, forty years
afterwards, by Prince Demidoff, who paid for it seventy-five thousand
pounds. It has since been sold for a much smaller sum.
A few years ago a diamond was found in Brazil, and imported into
France under the name of the Star of the South. It was found by a
negress, and bought for a few dollars by a speculator, who obtained
a large return for his investment. Its weight in the rough was two
hundred and fifty-four carats; after cutting, it was one hundred and
twenty-four carats.
Another famous stone, known as the Grand Duke of Tuscany, is of a
yellow color, and weighs one hundred and forty carats.
It was lost at one time, and bought subsequently, it is said, for
a few francs, out of a jeweller’s shop at Florence, the jeweller
supposing that it was only a piece of colored crystal.
[Sidenote: THE ORLOFF AND THE KOHINOOR.]
A famous diamond in Russia is the Orloff. It is shaped like an egg,
with an indented hollow in the smaller end. It was found at Landak, in
India, and at one time formed the eye of an idol in a Brahmin temple
at Pondicherry. An enterprising deserter from the French army managed
to have himself shut up in the temple, and during his incarceration
he gouged out this eye of the idol. He attempted to capture the other
eye, but was unsuccessful. He was lucky enough to get away with his
prize, which he sold to a jeweller at Calcutta. After passing through
the hands of various purchasers, it was bought by a Greek merchant,
who sold it to the Empress Catherine for four hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, and an annuity of twenty thousand dollars, with a
title of nobility.
[Illustration: THE ORLOFF.
STAR OF THE SOUTH.
STAR OF THE SOUTH—ROUGH.
THE NASSAC.
THE SHAH.
THE CUMBERLAND.
THE SANCY.
THE DRESDEN.
THE REGENT DIAMOND.
THE KOHINOOR—RECUT.
AUSTRALIAN BRILLIANT.
THE EUGENIE.
REGENT—SIDE VIEW.
THE HOPE.
THE FLORENTINE.
CELEBRATED DIAMONDS OF THE WORLD.]
One of the best known, and probably the most famous, diamonds in the
world is the Kohinoor. It is interesting for the great number of
historical associations connected with it. It is said to have been
worn by an Indian king three thousand years before the Christian era.
From this king the Kohinoor passed through the hands of successive
sovereigns of Central India, until about the beginning of the
fourteenth century, when it was added to the treasures of Delhi by
the Patan monarch Aladdin. In 1739 the Persian monarch Nadir Shah
conquered Delhi, and had an interview with its vanquished ruler. The
latter put on his best garments in order to make as good an impression
as possible. He wrapped a gorgeous turban around his head, and in it
he fastened the Kohinoor.
The Persian conqueror, during the progress of the interview, saw this
diamond, and, in the expressive language of modern days, “went for it.”
He was too polite to capture it by main force, but proposed eternal
peace and friendship to Mohammed Shah, the vanquished ruler of
Delhi. The latter, like Barkis, was willin’, and the two embraced.
“As a token of our friendship,” said Nadir, “let us exchange turbans.”
Mohammed was cornered and obliged to comply, and Nadir walked off with
the prize. But Nadir did not keep it long, as he was assassinated soon
after.
After his death it passed to the hands of Ahmed Shah of Cabool, and
thence through various other hands, until in 1849, when, on the
annexation of the Punjaub to the East India Company’s territory,
it was stipulated that the Kohinoor should be given to the Queen
of England. It was sent to England, and was delivered to the queen
July 3, 1850. It was exhibited at the Crystal Palace in London, but
caused great disappointment by its inability to develop the proper
refraction, unless surrounded by strong lights; in fact, it was much
inferior to its glass model in the Tower. Its name, Mountain of Light,
seemed to be a misnomer.
[Sidenote: RECUTTING THE KOHINOOR.]
An examination was made with a view to recutting it. Scientific
gentlemen were called in, and skilful cutters at Amsterdam were
sent for. After much consultation, it was determined to recut the
stone. The proper machinery was prepared, and set up, and the Duke of
Wellington was required to begin the work.
In cutting a diamond, the stone is firmly embedded in lead at the
end of a stick. Only the portion which is intended to be cut is
exposed at one time. The Kohinoor was properly fixed in its leaden
surrounding, and placed in the hands of the duke. He held it firmly
against a swiftly revolving wheel covered with diamond dust, and in a
little while the first facet was finished. Then the stone was placed
in the hands of the workmen who were to continue the operation; and
when their labors were completed, the Kohinoor was found blazing
brilliantly, and justified its title as the Mountain of Light.
The largest and most valuable diamond in the world, so far as known,
is presumed to be the one so long owned by the Sultan of Matan,
Borneo. It weighs three hundred and sixty-nine carats, and is valued
at five million dollars—a very good piece of property to have; but it
is said to be so carefully kept, that no ordinary diamond thief can
obtain it.
[Sidenote: ARTIFICIAL DIAMONDS.]
Though diamonds cannot be made artificially, they can be imitated, and
the imitation is almost perfect. Several French manufacturers of bogus
diamonds have obtained high reputation for their skill. Flint, white
sand, and silver are the substances used; at least they are said to be
the substances, though there is doubtless some other material added
which the manufacturers do not mention. These fraudulent diamonds, in
weight, color, and brilliancy, are almost identical with the genuine
ones, and some of them have even deceived the dealers. They will
stand some, but not all, the tests applied to diamonds. They reflect
the light perfectly, but are apt to grow dim in a few weeks, and
require fresh polishing. The diamonds sold in New York under the name
of Alaska, Australia, or California diamonds are mostly of French
manufacture, and were never seen in the locality whose name is applied
to them.
False diamonds have become so common among certain classes of
Americans as to cause the real diamond to be used very rarely among
other classes. During the prosperity of the famous Tammany Ring, false
diamonds blazed on many a political shirt-front, where they could be
seen and admired of men.
The followers of the Ring politicians were generally equipped with
false diamonds; but the great leaders, like Tweed and his companions,
decorated, or were supposed to decorate, themselves with the genuine
article.
There are many strange stories told in connection with diamonds. We
have already seen through what vicissitudes the famous diamonds have
passed.
A story is told of a French prince, who, while travelling, was
attacked by robbers. He had intrusted a valuable diamond to a faithful
servant. The servant was slain, but the master escaped. He returned
subsequently to the scene of the fight, and sought for the diamond,
but could nowhere find it. At last he bethought himself to examine the
body of his attendant, when he found that the latter had swallowed
the diamond to preserve it.
[Sidenote: A FORTUNATE ACTOR.]
Some years ago an actor, looking through an old clothes shop in
London, found a pair of slippers decorated with glass beads, and
suited to a character he was about to play. He bought them for a
trifle, paying two or three shillings for them. He wore them on the
evening of his performance, and used to leave them lying carelessly
about the theatre. He had them a year or more before discovering, as
he did, by accident, that the supposed beads were diamonds, and that
the shoes which had cost him a few shillings were worth thousands of
pounds. He sold them soon after making the discovery, and retired upon
the fortune so easily obtained. He never took the trouble to ascertain
their previous character or history.
About twenty years ago, in a gaming-house in New York, a gambler, who
may be called Smith, put up a ring as a stake, against an outside
player for a hundred dollars. The player—I call him Jones for sake of
convenience,—won the ring and went away with it. Smith had received
the ring a short time before as a present, and was told at the time
that it was false, or, as it is generally called, “paste.” Jones took
the ring next day to a jeweller, and asked what it was.
The jeweller said, “It is paste—worth about two dollars.”
“Have you a genuine stone like it?” Jones asked of the jeweller.
“Yes,” was the reply, “I have one exactly resembling it, worth five
hundred dollars.”
“Will you take out the paste and set the genuine stone in its place,”
asked Jones, “provided I leave you its value as security, and pay you
for the use of it?”
“Certainly,” was the reply; and the bargain was quickly settled. The
change was made, and Jones walked away with the ring.
[Sidenote: HOW A GAMBLER WAS CAUGHT.]
That evening he was in the same gaming-house, and was chaffed by
the friends of Smith on obtaining a paste ring against a stake of
a hundred dollars. Jones insisted that the ring was genuine, and
offered to back his opinion with a bet of a hundred dollars. The
bet was taken, and it was agreed that Jones, Smith, and a person
selected by the two, should go together to the prominent jewellers and
ascertain the value of the ring.
Next day they visited the stores, and jeweller after jeweller examined
the stone, and pronounced it genuine, and worth four or five hundred
dollars. Most of them were ready to give four hundred dollars for it.
The bet was paid, and Jones departed to drive with a friend up town;
but on his way he called at the jeweller’s, exchanged the genuine
stone for the paste, obtained his five hundred dollars he had left on
deposit, paid for the use of the diamond, and slipped away.