86 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
Other observers have confirmed Prof. Moissan’s results. 
Carbon can be converted into a gas, and if the carbon 
could be maintained in the gaseous form and submitted to 
a high pressure for a sufficient length of time, we might 
obtain it in a liquid condition, and from that it might be 
possible to set free the solid carbon in a transparent con- 
dition, but, although the necessary temperature and pres-- 
sure can be obtained separately it may not be easy to 
combine the two conditions. 
Still another method for producing artificial diamonds has 
been described by Dr. Q. Majorana before the Roman 
Academy. He alleges that when carbon heated by the 
electric arc is submitted to a pressure of 5,000 atmospheres 
generated by an explosive compound in a confined space, 
that graphite and amorphous carbon are formed, together 
with minute crystals of diamond. 
Minute diamonds are found in the residues left by cast 
steel of various kinds when treated with nitric, hydrofluoric, 
and sulphuric acids. Unhammered steel yielded iron 
carbides, and several modifications of carbon, one of which 
occurs crystallised in octohedra. 
Rolled steel also yielded fragments of true diamonds. The 
very minute fragments of diamonds were only visible under 
magnifying powers of from 2,000 to 3,000 diameters, and 
they were apparently attacked by strong oxidising agents. 
Out of fifty varieties of steel examined by Leon Franck all 
except a few yielded diamonds. 
M. Rossel also obtained diamonds from steel, the largest 
being ‘5 mm. in diameter. 
Artificial rubies have now been made for some years, 
but of small size and not fit for jewellery ; now, however, 
they are in the market up to three dwts. in weight, and 
possessing the colour, hardness, specific gravity, composition 
and beauty of true rubies, but are distinguished from true 
rubies by not containing fluid cavities. 
