PRECIOUS STONES AND GEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2008, 18 August 1892, Page 39

PRECIOUS STONES AND GEMS.

Philosophers toll us that the taste for wearing trinkets is a relic of ancestral barbarism, and ardent democrats deplore the habit as subversive of equality, but, in spite of both philosophers and democrats, the love of precious stones appears ineradicable, and is now as widely spread as ever it was. Their beautiful colours and splendid scintillations of light make them most effective ornaments, while at the same tirna their rarity prohibits the multitude from obtaining them, and thus adds a double zest to the enjoyment of their fortunate possessors. Pre-eminent amongst precious stone 3is the diamond, whose rays of flashing fire light up every assemblage of rank and beauty. Although not actually the most costly stone, it is by far the most popular, and only the immense annual supply from the South African mines and elsewhere prevents it from rising to fabulous prices. In ancient times India was the chief source which supplied the civilised world with diamonds, but in modern times India has been eclipsed by Brazil, and still more by South Africa in the present generation.

The latter mines are truly wonderful. In the midst of sbaly rocks occur vertical pipes of what is known as " blue clay," which contain the diamonds. These pipes appear to be of eruptive origin as around them the shales are tilted upwards and outward?, and they continue downwards to an unknown depth. All the leading mines areclose together, and are now operated by one company, the Da Beer 3 combination, and the annual output of diamonds is valued at nearly L 3,000,000. The story of the discovery of these mines is very interesting :

A RICH FIND,

A Dutch Boer, named Van Wyk, who occupied a farmhouse at Dv Toit's Pan, was surprised to find diamonds actually embedded in the walls of his house, which had been built of mud from a neighbouring pond. This led to examination of the surrounding soil, wherein diamonds were found. - On deepening the digging, diamonds were still brought to light. Nor did they cease when the bed rock was at length reached. Such was the origin of the famous Dv Toit's Pan. In July 1871 a fresh centre of discovery was reported at a small hill situated at only about a mile from De Beers, where a young man, having taken shelter from the sun under a. mimosa bush, accidentally found a diamond by scraping the soil with his knife. A rush naturally ensued, and the surrounding town which, to meet the wants of the new-comers, sprang up with mushroom-like celerity, received the name of Kimberley, in compliment to the Earl of Kimberley, at that time her Majesty's Secretary of State for the colonies.

Many of the South African diamonds have a yellow tinge, which is considered an objection, but some are equal to the finest specimens from India. A remarkable feature of these mines is the unusual number of large stones. One of the most famous is the Stewart diamond, found on one of the river claims, and in the rough weighing 288 -carats.

THE STEWATIT DIAMOND,

The claim from which the gem was taken was originally owned by a Mr F. Pepper, by him sold to a Mr Spalding for L3O, and handed over by the latter to one Antoine, to work on shares. The claim was quite an outside one, and not thought much of by the owner, but as others were finding near him, he thought it was just possible he might also find a gem. He persevered until first, the "Fly Diamond," and next, after further toil, this prize rewarded his labour. Antoine's feelings when he first obtained a glimpse of the treasure may be better imagined than described. He says that he was working in the claim, when he told his boy to leave off picking in (the centre and commence at the side. Not being understood by the boy, he took a pick and began himself, when he was suddenly spell-bound at the sight of a large stone with the primary aspect of a diamond. For some minutes he could neither speak nor move for fear of dispelling the apparent illusion, but, collecting his energies, he made a dart forward and clutched the prize.

Quite of a different type are the diggings in Brazil. There we find no signs of the home of the stones like the De Beers mines, but they are found by washing the gravels, &c. Another point of contrast is that in Brazil large diamonds are extremely rare.

BRAZILIAN DIAMONDS

The discovery of these precious stones in 1746 proved a great curse to the inhabitants on the banks of the diamond rivers. Scarcely had the news of the discovery reached the (government ere they tried to secure the riches of these rivers for the Crown. To effect this the inhabitants were driven away from their homes to wi^d, far-away places, and deprived of their little possessions. Many of them perished, but some were benevolently restored. Strange to say, on their return, the earth seemed strewn with diamonds. After a heavy shower the children would find diamonds in the streets and in the brooks which traversed them, and would often take home three or four carats of diamonds. Poultry, in picking up their food, swallowed diamonds, so that their viscera required searching before being disposed of.

Notwithstanding prolonged research, the origin ot the diamond is still a vexed problem. Its optical properties led Sir Isaac Newton to predict that it would be found to be of vegetable origin, and many consider it t3 have been originally a gum. The rival theory is that it is formed by the action of volcanic heat on carbon in the earth, but the mode is quite uncertain, as unless oxygen were completely excluded, the volcanic heat would simply burn the carbon. The peculiar South African mines give some support to the latter hypothesis, as they are evidently eruptive. The recent discovery of diamondiferous matter in aerolites does not throw any additional light on this obscure question. We have dwelt at such length on the diamond that we cannot devote the same space to the rest of Mr Streeter's book on " Precious stones and gems," from which we quote. The most beautiful of coloured gems, and the most valuable of a}l, is the ruby. We learn that a perfect ruby of 10 oarats is worth 10 times a diamond oE the same weight. But lest the possessors of ruby ornaments should rejoice too much, Mr Streeter informs us that spinels and garnets are very often sold as rubies, though comparatively worthless. The principal source of rabies Is Burma, and the mines were kept jealousy hidden from European

eyes until the recent annexation of the country. Mr Streeter was a member of the syndicate which secured the working ot these mines, and his description of them forms a most interesting part of the book. Before the Britisn conquest all valuable stones were confiscated by the king, and no native was allowed to possess one of any size.

nOTAL CLAIMS

In the _ reign of King Mindoon Mm, a man ■working in a rice-field on a hillside found a large stone, which he handed to his wife's custody. One day soon afterwards a man named Gna Monk came by selling fish condiment ; and as the woman had no cash she offered the red stone in exchange. The man recognising the stone as a ruby, gave her a rupee's worth of his goods, and carried off his treasure. He then broke the ruby in two presenting one-half to the king, and sending the other for sale to Calcutta. The king, discovering the fraud, ordered Gna Monk and all his fellow-villagers to be tortured. Learning that the missing portion was in Calcutta the king sent thither, and purchased the fragment for an enormous sum. It was then found that the two parts being fitted together formed one stone. The two portions were cut in Burma, one forming a grand stone weighing 98 carats, and named " Gna Monk," whilst the other weighed 74- carats, and became known as " Kallahpyan," signifying that it had returned from India.

The Bapphire is really a blue mby, but as it is much commoner it is not so costly. The new sapphire mines in Siam and Montana have been examined on behalf of Mr Streeter by special representatives sent out by him, and,the substance of their reports has been incorporated in these chapters. So, also, has Mr Floyer's account of the ancient emerald mines of Egypt, which are now awaiting English enterprise to reopen.

The minor precious stones are very numerous, and are separately treated in brief sections.

Besides the actual mining, the process of preparing the gems for the market occupies large numbers of workmen. The diamondcutters of Amsterdam are everywhere famous, perhaps few know that in some parts of Germany the dyeing of precious stones is an important branch of industry. Honey is largely employed for this purpose, and the following extract from S. Francis de Sales shows that its use has long been known :

IIONKY AND BHILT.IANTS.

All kinds of precious stones cast into honey beconie more brilliant thereby, each one according to its colour, and all persons become more acceptable in their vocation, when they join devotion with it. Household cares are thereby rendered tranquil, the love of husband and wife more sincere, tho service of the prince more faithful, and all kinds of business more easy and pleasant.

Mr, Streeter's book is worthy of its subject, for it, too, is a gem, beautifully printed and illustrated, and fit for a place on any drawing room table.