BIG SWINDLING

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 221, 14 June 1930, Page 29

BIG SWINDLING

THE FRAUD OF THE FALSE DIAMONDS

'(J. Kenneth Ferrier, ex-Detective Inspector, London Metropolitan Police Force, in the “Sunday Express.”)

underground laboratories of nature in the production, of large and valuable gems.

The discovery of the way to make artificial diamonds hy Henri Lemoine, a French engineer, was decidedly ingenious; only! like the diamonds, the discovery was false. One autumn day Maurice Koechm, an Alsatian engineer, was inspecting a short circuit in a tramway system running on the sands at Angers, when he found that the short circuit had produced a molten brittle mass which resembled glass.

Sir Julius was at first incredulous, but, recalling that Professor Moissan had succeeded in crystallising carbon, he consented to attend Lemoine’s laboratory in Paris. With other experts, he examined Lemoine’s powder and chemical compound, put them in an empty crucible, which he sealed, and gave it to Lemoine to place in the electric furnace.

Twenty-five minutes later the crucible was withdrawn,, and when it was opened thirty-nine diamonds were found.

After a similar test, during which the inventor was divested of all clothing, Sir Julius felt convinced that Lemoine had discovered how to make diamonds which in lustre, transparency, ■ and refractive power rivalled the finest South African gems, and that their production was possible at a nominal cost.

This gave him the idea of experimenting. by a similar electrical method, with the object of making diamond crystals. Koechm, being desirous of obtaining capital’to enable him to experiment, became acquainted with Henri Lemoine, an advertising agent with a bent for chemistry. Koechm iv terested Lemoine in his scheme, ■ and he in turn induced several tradesmen to invest in a small company which they, formed. > ' • ' ' , They succeeded in obtaining a brittle powder harder than rubies, but softer than diamonds. After ■ a time Koechm and Lemoine quarrelled and parted, and then, six years later, Lemoine boasted that he had succeeded in manufacturing diamonds that would pass any test.

Sir. Juius realised that if artificial stones could be placed on the market at. a cheap : price, they would prove a formidable competitor against the He Beers Company, and so he offered to buy the formula, but Lemoine express•ed reluctance to sell. But he declared that he was willing to enter into an agreement to sell his products to Sir Julius, provided that sufficient' capital were advanced to enable him to build a new laboratory containing up-to-date • dynamos, electrical furnaces, and other necessary plant. This was agreed to by Sir Julius, and sums amounting to £64,000 were advanced. It was also agreed that the, formula should be placed ,in a sealed envelope, deposited in the strong-room of the Union of London and Smith’s Bank in their joint names, and that it was not to be withdrawn unless by their-joint consent, or upon the death of Lemoine,, in wtiich event it would become the property of Sir Julius Wernher. Lemoine chose a site near a waterfair in the Argeles district, in France, on which to build the laboratory, explaining that the water would generate the p'ower for the electric plant | But instead of producing diamonds he kept urging his partner to advance more money, until his dilatoriness caused Sir Julius to become suspicious. He asked Lemoine to conduct yet another experiment in the presence of his friend, Mr. Oates, and Lemoine consented.

, He obtained an introduction to a London solicitor who he learned acted on behalf of a number of diamond merchants, and to him he showed his dia; mond powder. The lawyer refused to take.any interest in Lemoine’s artificial diamond making, but three years jater Lemoine again called, and, this time he' claimed fhat tie had perfected tiis method of making diamonds, and declared his .willingness to give a demonstration before experts.'. • > .. ■ The ‘interest of the solicitor was aroused, arid he requested Lemoine to call again. i .■ • . ■ - Meanwhile Lemoine’s claims had also interested a London financier named Jackson, who attended the diamond - making laboratory,' where Lemoine handed him some powder and a compound, with the request that he should’ put them into a crucible. Lemoine placed this on the end of a long shovel and pushed it into an electric furnace. ,

Oates was a prominent ofiiical of the De Beers Company, well versed in the achievements of scientific research, and he decided to test Lemoine’s claims by applying the principle of Professor Moissan, according to which, .If an authentic diamond and a piece of coal are placed in an electric furnace, the electrical forces and excessive temperature required to change carbon into diamond liquefies the real diamond. In the experiment Oates, unknown .to Lemoine, placed a real diamond in the crucible, which, when opened, disclosed that Oates’s diamond had liquefied, but that Lemoine’s diamonds had been formed. Oates accused Lemoine of being an impostor, but the Frenchman managed to give a plausible explanation. Suspicions bad, however, been aroused, and Sir Julius Wernher one day paid a surprise visit to the new laboratory. Instead of a well-equipped modern building he found an old and deserted workshop, and realised that he had been the victim of a clever swindle.

After an interval of twenty-five minutes he withdrew the shovel and immersed the crucible in a bucket of cold water. On its being taken out and opened the crucible was found to contain twenty-five small diamonds. These were submitted by Jackson to fi diamond-setter and jeweller, who expressed the opinion that they were real stones, but refused to buy them unless they were 'certified by a diamond expert.

They were'accordingly submitted to an expert diamond-dealer, who declared them to be genuine diamonds of fine quality. This ..convinced the jeweller, who paid a good price for the stones, and offered to buy more of them. Lemoine’s “discovery” was made known to Lord Armstrong of Newcastle, who‘declared that he believed only in'what he saw arid touched,'arid Jackson thereupon arranged for Lord Armstrong to attend Lemoine’s laboratory to see the manufacture of diamonds for himself.

Lemoine was arrested and accused of defrauding Sir Julius Wernher of £64,000. Lemoine asserted that he was ready to undertake a test experiment tn the presence of the magistrate and any expert he might appoint. He added that he was so sure of success that he would deposit his entire fortune in a bank, and in the event of failure it should go to .Sir Julius Wernher. but that in the event of bis succeeding Sir Julius should hand over to him a similar amount as damages. Sir Julius agreed, and Lemoine was granted .bail. He promptly fled to Constantinople, was tried in his absence, found guilty, and sentenced to ten years’ Imprisonment. Meanwhile it had been found that his'wife had bought diamonds to the value of £lOOO, most of which had been ground into powder and afterwards placed in the crucibles, with chemical Ingredients. Lemoine was rearrested, but he successfully appealed against his sentence and was granted a new trial. The envelope containing the formula for diamond making was produced in court and found’hv experts to he worthless. ,• Further, diamonds which he claimed to. have produced were identified by dealers as stones sold to his wife. He was found guilty and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. .

At thia test Lemoine stripped to the waist, to show that there could be no trickery, and handed Lord Armstrong a powder which he carefully examined before placing in a crucible which was closed and put into the electric furnace.

Half an hour later the crucible was withdrawn and allowed to cool. After It had cooled sufficiently Lord Armstrong broke it open and found thirteen small diamonds. He carefully examined the gems, and became convinced that Lemoine had discovered “the philosopher’s stone’’ and had succeeded in making diamonds of the purest water. •

This feeling was strengthened when one of the diamonds had been. submitted ttf an expert, who subjected it to severe tests. Several diamond experts In Hatton Garden agreed that the stones were, diamonds, and that, if not the natural product, it was impossible to tell the difference, as they had passed, all.tests. A-diambnd-dealer Introduced Lemoine to Sir Julius Wernher, the chairman of the De Beers Diamond Mining Company, and. Lemoine now claimed that by his system of electric arcs and rapid coolings he had obtained the requisite heat and. pressure In the manufacture of diamonds, and could successfully compete with the immense

Thus ended one of the greatest and most daringly conceived frauds of modern times.