200 FIRESIDE SCIENCE. 



The importation of African diamonds has but just 

 commenced, but doubtless large quantities from the 

 new mines will flow towards this country, as we are 

 large purchasers of the " brilliants." The market 

 in the United States will not put up with anything 

 but the best. We do not purchase the largest, but 

 the choicest which are produced in all parts of the 

 world. Stones of from one to five carats are always 

 in good demand here ; above that, purchasers are 

 scarce. A seven or ten carat diamond is worth 

 from 16,000 to $10,000, and the number of those 

 who are willing to invest that sum in a single stone 

 is limited. Sporting men, who keep gambling 

 saloons, and drive fast horses, wear the largest and 

 most costly gems ; and when we notice an unusu- 

 ally large and brilliant one upon the person of a 

 stranger, we instinctively regard him as belonging 

 to the sporting fraternity. 



In what is known as the " shoddy " era, during 

 the war, when petroleum and war contracts ele- 

 vated men suddenly from poverty to great affluence, 

 large diamonds were in demand, and there were 

 not enough of these in the country to meet it. The 

 price of diamonds of one carat ranges from $165 to 

 $175, but there are some " unexceptionable " ones 

 in the market which command . a higher price. 

 Most of those who visit jewellers' stores for the pur- 

 pose of purchasing diamonds have no knowledge of 



