GEMS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL 



as they certainly would have done in any good fairy 

 tale, does not appear. But it is certain that their 

 friend Van Niekirk found other gems, and bought 

 still others from the ignorant natives. One of these 

 he sold in Hope town for over fifty thousand dollars; 

 and it would have brought him much more had he sent 

 it to London. This stone is now the famous "Star 

 of South Africa." 



OTHER SOURCES OP DIAMONDS; PRACTICAL USES 



Until the opening of the South African diamond 

 mines, India and Brazil were the chief source of these 

 gems, with Borneo, British Guiana, and Australia 

 furnishing the remainder. India had supplied the 

 world for centuries, most of the famous diamonds 

 coming from that country. On account of certain 

 restrictive laws, however, the Indian mines have never 

 been worked on such extensive scale as the South 

 African. 



Diamonds were discovered in Brazil in 1 7.28 and have 

 been mined there ever since. The stones found are of 

 fine quality, and, like the Indian gems, are considered 

 more valuable than those coming from South Africa. 



The diamonds of Borneo have great depth of color, 

 and bring good prices; but the industry is not devel- 

 oped to any such extent as in South Africa. The Aus- 

 tralian gems are very hard and brilliant, but of such 

 small size that they can only be used for certain pieces 

 of jewelry. The stones from British Guiana are of 

 good size and quality, but as the mining industry is 



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