DIAMOND. 



725 



Diamond, be imported duty free, saving the duty granted to the 

 >, ~ "~Y~""*' East India Company on diamonds imported from any 

 place within the limits of their charter. 



Brazil affords more diamonds than India and Borneo, 

 and it is said that nearly all the diamonds in the 

 European market are obtained from that country. The 

 diamond mines of Brazil belong either to the crown or 

 to the Prince Regent. The trade in this gem, except 

 through the medium of the government agents, is con- 

 sidered as contraband. Notwithstanding the severe 

 penalties against this contraband trade, many diamonds 

 are disposed of by private adventurers. The govern- 

 ment diamonds, however, form the chief part of the 

 trade. These are the produce of the different royal 

 mines in the interior of Brazil ; whence they are sent 

 to the seat of government at Rio de Janeiro. The 

 Prince Regent there selects from the whole such speci- 

 mens as he chooses to add to his own magnificent col- 

 lection, and the remainder are consigned to the Portu- 

 guese ambassador for the time resident in England, 

 by whom they are deposited in the Bank for sale. 



This branch of trade was, at one period, almost mo- 

 nopolized by the Dutch. The consul for Holland pos- 

 sessed an exclusive contract in Brazil for all the dia- 

 monds that were brought to the market in that country, 

 whilst in India their agents were very active in secur- 

 ing all that were offered for sale. The trade is now 

 divided between the English and Portuguese. The 

 demand ibr diamonds of a moderate size is, at present, 

 very great ; and it would appear that the price of this 

 gem has been gradually rising for several years. The 

 sale of the larger diamonds has been very dull for many 

 years past. 

 Uses, The principal use of the diamond is in jewellery. 



It is also used by lapidaries for cutting and engraving 

 upon harder gems, by watchmakers in their finer kinds 

 of work ; and by glaziers for cutting glass. 



We shall conclude our history of the diamond, with 

 a short account of some of the largest diamonds hither- 

 to discovered. 



1. Authors mention a diamond weighing 1680 carats 

 in the possession of the royal family of Portugal, which 

 was found in Brazil, and is still uncut. This gem, if 

 valued according to the rule already mentioned, should 

 be worth L.5,644,800 sterling. It is now, however, 

 generally believed, to be a fine white-coloured topaz. 



2. The largest undoubted diamond, is that mentioned 

 by Tavernier, which was in the possession of the Great 

 Mogul, and which that traveller found to weigh 279-^ 

 carats. It is the size of a hen's egg, of the same shape, 

 and is cut in the rose form. Before cutting it weighed 

 900 carats. It was found in the mine of Colore, to the 

 east of Golconda, about the year 1 550. 



3. The magnificent diamond on the top of the sceptre 

 of the Emperor of Russia, deserves next to be noticed. 

 It is perfectly pure; weighs 195 carats; and is the 

 size of a pigeon's egg. It was one of the eyes of a 

 Brahminical idol, and was stolen by a French grena- 

 dier, who disposed of it at a very low price ; and lastly, 

 after passing through three other hands, it was offered 

 for sale to the Empress Catharine of Russia, who pur- 

 chased it for about L. 90,000 ready money, and an an- 

 nuity of about L.4000 more. 



4. The diamond of the late Grand Duke of Tuscany, 

 now in Vienna, is of a pale lemon yellow colour, but 

 beautifully formed, and weighs 1394 cara ts. 



5. The Pit or Regent diamond. It is cut in the bril- 

 liant form, and is said to be the most beautiful diamond 

 hitherto found. It weighs 136| carats, and was pur- 



chased for L. 130,000, although it is now valued at Diamond, 

 double that sum. It was brought from India by an ^— "v~— ■ / 

 English gentleman of the name of Pit, and was sold 

 by him to the Regent Duke of Orleans, by whom it 

 was placed among the crown jewels of France. It is 

 now set in the handle of the sword of state of Bona- 

 parte. 



See Robert Boyle Obs. de Adamante in tenebris lucente. Works 

 London, 1664. 12mo. which treat 



Rangoni. Diss, de Adamante. Colon. 1667. 8vo. ^orld 



A note about three unusual diamonds, one of a very 

 fine violet colour, and two of a pale rose colour. Phil. 

 Transactions, vol. ix. No. 102, p. 26, for the year 

 1674. 



Description of the Diamond Mines in India, by the 

 Earl Marshal of England, Phil.Trans. vol. xii. No. 136, 

 p. 907, 917, for the year 1676. 



Experiments of the luminous qualities of Amber, Dia- 

 monds, and Gum Lac, by Dr Walk in a letter to Sir 

 Hans Sloane. Phil. Trans. voL xxvi. No. 314, p. 69 — 

 76, for the year 1708. 



Microscopical Observations upon the Covfigwation of 

 Diamonds, in a letter from M. Anth. Van Leeuenhoeck. 

 Phil. Trans, vol. xxvi. p. 479s 484, for the year 

 1709. 



A Letter from Jacob de Castro Sarmento, to Cromtv. 

 Mortimer, concerning Diamonds lately found in Brazil. 

 Phil. Trans, vol. xxxvii. No. 421, p. 199, 201, for the 

 year 1731. 



J. H. Schulze de Adamante respond. Fabri. Halae, 

 1737. 



A Letter from Mr John Elliot to Mart. Folkes, con- 

 cerning the Specif c Gravity of Diamonds. Phil. Trans. 

 vol. xliii. No. 476, p. 468, for the year 1745. 



Discours sur la lumiere des diamants, Sfc. prononce a 

 Leipsic, 4. 12. Mai 1745. Par G. M. Bose a Gottingue, 

 1745. 



Recherches sur la lumiere des dicunants el de plusieurs 

 autres matieres. Par M. du Fay. Mem. de I' Acad. d. 

 Sc. a Paris, for the year 1735, p. 347 — 372. 



A Treatise on Diamonds and Pearls, by David Jef- 

 fries. London, 1750. 



A Genuine Account of the present state of the Dia- 

 mond Trade in the Dominions of Portugal. London, 

 1754. 



Beccaria in Commentariis. Bonon. torn. ii. p. 274. 



D'Arcet Memoir sur taction dun feu egal, violent et 

 continue par plusieurs jours sur un grand nomlre de ter> 

 res et pier res a Paris, 1766. 8vo. 



Seconde Memoire, 1771. 



Quist Anderson in the Schwed. Abhandl. vol. xxx. of 

 German translation, p. 57. 



Macquer, Cadet, and Lavoisier, in Roxier Obs. 1772, 

 torn. vi. p. i. Mai, p. 93 — 104. 



Bruckman's Abhandlung von Edelsteinen, 1773, 2d 

 edition, s. 59. Also his Beitr'dge, published in 1778. 



Gad Anmarkingar Mineralogiske och bkonomiske om 

 demanters rdtta art och beslcqffenhet. Abo. 1775. 



Bernard in Rozier Obs. 1775, torn. vi. p. 410. 



V. Bubna in the Abhandlungcn einer Prvatgescll 

 schaft in Bohmen, vol. vi. p. 112 — 126. 



Karsten in Lcmpcs Magazinfur Bergbauhinde l r- th, 

 s. 11. 34. 



Eversmann in Bergmann Journal, 1191, b. ii. s. 

 92. 



Rousseau in Bcobacht. und Endeckungen der Gesellsch. 

 Naturf. Freundezu Berlin, b. iv. s. 411 — 413. 



Dolomieu in Bergmann Journal, 1793, b. i. s. 449. 



D'Andrada in Annates de Chimie, torn. xv. p. 82. 



