194 FIRESIDE SCIENCE. 



and light-colored sand ; in this mixture the dia- 

 monds are found along with grains of gold, some- 

 times crystallized. It is curious that the nature of 

 the earth and the deposits corresponds with that of 

 Hindostan and Borneo where diamonds exist. No 

 one knows how a diamond is produced, or where 

 its natural home is. If its original position is a 

 rocky matrix, as is suspected, it is certain no one 

 has ever seen it. The chemist or mineralogist who 

 will furnish a diamond involved in its primitive 

 home, will certainly shed light upon an interesting 

 scientific problem, and render his name famous. 

 The mountains which supply the debris that hold 

 the gems are composed of. schistose rocks, inter- 

 mixed with quartz, sandstone, brescia, flinty slate, 

 limestone, etc. The limestone brescia is the only 

 rock in which diamonds are found in the mountains, 

 and this comprises all we know regarding their 

 original position. By what subtle chemical pro- 

 cesses the brilliants have been formed, at some 

 time in the course of those stupendous changes to 

 which our planet has been subjected, we have no 

 knowledge. Undoubtedly fire, water, gases, press- 

 ure, etc., have all been concerned in the synthet- 

 ical work. Chemists have not yet been able to man- 

 ufacture colorless gems, and it is doubtful if the 

 process is ever understood. In an industrial view, 

 the problem has but little practical importance. 



