340 THE DIAMOND AND OTHER PRECIOUS STONES. 



however, Brazil has added its productions, ^Yhich, having almost always 

 a slight yellowish tint, contrast finely with the diamonds of India. It 

 is from Brazil, at present, that nearly all the diamonds sold in Europe 

 are obtained. These are first sent to Amsterdam to be cut, thence to 

 Paris ami London to be set, an<l thence they find their way through 

 commerce to every i>art of the world. Borneo also furnishes a few hun- 

 dred carats of diamonds. Huml^oldt conjectured that, from their forma- 

 tion, the Ural Mountains ought to produce diamonds, and research has 

 iustified his prediction. It does not appear, however, that these depos- 

 its have even yet been made productive in the way of regular mining. 

 Algeria, also, has had the reputation of producing diamonds, and we 

 have seen, in the possession of amateurs of mineralogy, specimens said 

 to come from this locality ; but whether these came from a real or sup- 

 posed deposit, they have had no place in commerce, and the same may 

 be said of the Californian and Australian diamonds. In general, the 

 proportion of diamonds in circulation augments with that of the popu- 

 lation that can afford to purchase them, which causes their price to 

 remain nearly the same at all times. A panic due to the discovery of 

 some new diamond beds in Brazil, about the year 1845, caused a tem- 

 porary fall in the price of this gem, but the equilibrium was soon 

 restored, and now, at London as at Paris, a diamond of one carat is 

 worth the old price of 200 francs, more or less. 



The number of stones which surpass in weight 100 carats is extremely 

 limited. It is estimated that among 10,000 diamonds only one will 

 be found weighing 10 carats, and consequently this will merit the 

 name of princely. Bussia, France, Tuscany, and England possess dia 

 mouds weighing over 100 carats. By far the chief among these, on 

 account of its beauty, is the Regent, so called because it was to the 

 Prince Regent that England owed its acquisition. All these large dia- 

 monds come from India. The Star of the South, of which we have just 

 spoken, and which was shown to the Academy of Sciences January 3, 

 185G, came from Brazil, and was obtained from one of the new mines, 

 the discovery of which caused the transitory depression of the diamond 

 market. It was found in July, 1853, and weighed 254J carats. This 

 gem appeared perfectly limpid, and without that tint which has been 

 the reproach of Brazilian diamonds. T!ie cutting of it as a brillianf 

 reduced it to half its original weight, which will make it about the same 

 as that of the Kegent, which is 130i carats. To hnve cut it in the form 

 which I call the Sancjf, would have left it three-fourths of its original 

 weight, and have given it a much more splendid luster. When I 

 wished to suggest this the diamond had already been sent to Amster- 

 dam. It was exhibited at Paris in the great exposition of 1850. It is 

 estimated to weigh 127 carats. It is one of the five diamonds to which 

 the name of sovereigns has been exclusively applied. Everything indi- 

 cates that the number of these peerless minerals is extremely restricted, 

 since so few have rewarded the arduous labor of searching for them. 



