1.12.15

The Di[a]mond.

Scientific American 50, 1.9.1849

The Mining Journal says: "Interesting as this queen of gems to all, and although they are exposed in dazzling quantities in all our jewellers' windows, it is strange that the art of cutting and polishing diamonds is almost unknown in London, we may say in England. We believe that there is but one individual in London who follows this peculiar art. The Dutch have, for ages, nearly monopolized the diamond cutting trade of Europe; and so expert are they that on our showing them a rough diamond, they will tell, to the greatest nicety, what will be its shape when cut and almost to the hundredth part of a grain what the polished gem will weigh. It follows, there fore, that most of the rough diamonds which come to this country are sent to Holland to be polished. Diamonds are found of very different colors to what is generally believed; not only are some pure, colorless crystals, but yellowish white, gray, ash gray, blueish gray, yellow and greenish gray, indgo blue, passing into red, clove, various shades of brown, asparagus, leek and mountain green; and Mr. Mons mentions a grayish black diamond, the rarest of all."

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