DIAMOND 



791 



tln>-'' (I i in th' Madras jin-iili-in-\ , mi tin- Ki-(n;i 



ami Godavari rivers, commonly though impro|>eii\ 

 leimed the Golconda region; (2) in tin- (Yntial 



Fig. 3. Ruse-cut Diamond. 



Provinces, including the mines of Sumhulpur; and 

 (3) in Bundelkhand, where the Panna mines are 

 fituated. 



At present the diamond production of India is 

 insignificant. It is notable, however, that in 1M81 

 a line diamond, weighing 678 carats, was found 

 near Wajra Karur, in the Bellary district, Madras. 

 The stone was cut into a brilliant weighing 24ft 

 carats, and is known as the 'Gor-do-Norr.' 



Brazil was not regarded as a diamond-yielding 

 country until 1727, when the true nature of certain 

 crystals found in the gold washings of the state 

 of Minas Geraes was first detected. Diamond* 

 occur not only in this state, but also in Haliia, 

 Goyaz, Matto Grosso, and Parana. The geological 

 conditions under which the mineral occurs nave 

 of late years been care- 

 fully studied by Pro- 

 fessors Derby, Gorceix, 

 and Chatrian. The dia- 

 monds are found in the 

 sands and gravels of 

 river-beds, associated 

 with alluvial gold, spec- 

 ular iron ore, rutile, 

 anatase, topaz, and 

 tourmaline. In 1853 an 

 extraordinary diamond 

 was found by a negress 

 in the river Bogagem, 

 in Minas Geraes. It 

 weighed 254i carats, and 

 was cut into a brilliant 

 of perfect water, weigh- 

 ing 125 carats (see fig. 

 4, b). This brilliant, 

 known as the ' Star of 

 the South,' was sold to 

 the Gaikwar of Baroda 

 for 80,000. 



Both the Indian and 

 the Brazilian diamond- 

 fields have of late years 

 been eclipsed by the re- 

 markable discoveries of 

 South Africa. Although 

 it \vas known in the last 

 century that diamonds 



occurred in certain parts of South Africa, the fact 

 was forgotten, and when in 1867 they were found 

 near Hopetown, the discovery came U|M>II the world 

 as a surprise. The principal mine- are situated in 

 Griqualand West, but diamonds are also worked 

 in the Orange River Free State, as at Jaganfontojll, 

 The stones were first procured from the ' river dig- 

 ginks' in the Vaal and Orange rivers. Tin-so sources 

 have occasionally yielded large stones; one found 

 in 1872 at Waltlec'k's Plant on the Vaal weighed 

 288SJ carats, and yielded^ fine pale yellow brilliant, 

 known as the ' Stewart. ' 



It was soon found that the diamonds of South 

 Africa were not confined to the river gravels, and 

 'dry diggings' came to be established in the so- 

 called ' pans.' The principal mines are those of 

 Kimberley, De Beer's, Du Toit s Pan, and Bultfon- 

 teiii At these localities the diamonds occur in a 



aerpentinouM breccia, filling pipe* or chimneys,' 



En<-rallv regarded UN volcanic duct, which rW 

 >m unknown dcj.tliM and burnt through the rar- 

 rounding shale*. The 'blue Around, or volcanic 

 lii.<i-ia containing frognienu of various 

 cemented by a Mirpentinou* pa*te. become* altered 

 by meteoric agent* a* it approaches the Murfaee, 

 and is con verted into yellow earth.' AtKiml- 

 the neighbouring M-hUtu, or ' reefn/aro aasociatrd 

 with sheets of a Itasaltic nx-k, which are pierced by 

 the pipes. In the year 1HH7 the production of the 

 principal mine* was as follows : 



Weight In Canta. Talvn. 



Kin,i.Tl-y 1,8SI^31 1.410,307 



DeBeer** 1,' 



<t'HPu BWJ.57fl 0H7.> 



.iltf...it.-tn 002,t4 Wt.WI 



8t AuguUne 197 



The great number of large tttone* foun<l in the 

 mines of South Africa, a compan-d with theme of 

 India and Bra/il, is a striking |>eculiarity. In the 

 earliest days of African mining a diamond of about 

 83 carate was obtained from a Boer. Thi atone 

 when cut yielded a splendid colon rleiw brilliant of 

 46i carate,* known as the ' Star of South Africa,' or 

 as "the ' Dudley,' since it afterwards became the 

 property of the Countess of Dudley. Some of the 



Fig. 4 

 o, Great Mogul ; b, St*r of the South ; e, Koh l-nur ; <f, Regent ; . Orloff-all Mtaal rt*. 



African stones are 'off coloured' Le, of pale 

 yellow or brown tints : but a large gem of Miigular 

 purity was fonml at Kimberle\ in l^vi. Tlii- 

 tamoii- blue white' diamond of IM carat*, known 

 from the name of its pOMMOT the 'Porter 

 Uliodea.' See CAPE COLONY. 



It has long been known that diamond* occur in 

 Australia, but hitherto the AuMralian Mone* have 

 leen all of >mall si/e, and it i notnblo that theM 

 are much more dithVult to cut. lring hanler than 

 other diamonds. Although Victoria and South 

 Australia have occasionally vieldr.1 linn 

 New South \\ ; .le> that ha-H Wn the princi|*l pro- 

 ducer. The chief diamond localities ba\e hjM nr 

 M udgif. on t he ( *ud jegong Hi\ er. and near Kingrra, 

 on the river Horton. 



Borneo alw) yields diamond*. The Mone kno 

 as the ' Matau *'ia said to have been found in 1787 in 



