534 abstracts: technology 



weights used as a carat, after recommendation by the International 

 Bureau of Weights and Measures and the Bureau of Standards decided 

 upon the metric carat as the solution of the difficulty and decided to 

 put its use into effect on the same date. Until recent!}^ nearly every 

 civilized country of the world has used a different standard of weight 

 for diamonds. Many of the nations, however, have lately adopted the 

 one unit of a carat of 200 mgms., and Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Denmark, 

 Norway, Japan, Portugal, Roumaia, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Ger- 

 many, Holland and Belgium are in the list with the United States of 

 those countries which now have the new international standard. In 

 England the change has not yet been adopted. ' 



The circular gives complete tables by which weights in the old carats 

 can be determined in terms of the new unit and vice versa, and also 

 calls attention to the need of more accurate weighing of precious stones 

 because of their great value and especially of greater care of the bal- 

 ances and weights used for the purpose. R. Y. Ferner. 



