256 SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF PRECIOUS STONES 



clearness, and jiurity, the colour it possesses, and its freedom from flaws. Of these qualities 

 transparency and clearness stand first in importance, and the possession of these qualities in 

 perfection renders a diamond extremely valuable. 



Those faults which impair the transparency and lustre of a stone diminish its value 

 very considerably. Lai-ge enclosures of black, brown, or of some other colour are frequently 

 seen, as are also enclosures of " sand " and " ash," and yellow spots technically known as 

 " straw." A fine surface polish over certain areas of a stone is often made impossible by the 

 presence of white, grey, or brown " clouds " or by " icy flakes " of no definite colour, which 

 are developed when the stone is allowed to become over-heated during the process of 

 grinding. The existence of internal cracks following the direction of cleavage, and known as 

 "feathers," not only impairs the transparency of the stone, but also renders it liable to 

 fracture during the process of grinding or when in use as an ornament. All these faults, 

 even if insignificant in extent, become very obvious in the cut stone, numerous images of them 

 being reflected into the eye of the observer from the various facets of the stone. Should 

 they be present in large numbers the stone is not worth cutting, but is regarded as bort. 



With regard to the colour of diamonds, stones which are perfectly colourless and 

 water-clear are, as a rule, most highly prized, the so-called blue-white quality, which is more 

 rare in stones from the Cape than in those from India or Brazil, being specially admired. 

 Even a trace of colour, so small as to be indistinguishable to an unpractised eye, lowers the 

 value of a stone very considerably, the diminution in value being still greater when the 

 colour is more perceptible. Of coloured diamonds, those displaying tones of blue, grey, red, 

 and yellow are preferred to those which are coloured brown or black. A coloured diamond 

 which is lacking in transparency is of very much less value than one of the same colour 

 which is clear and transparent. 



Those diamonds which, in addition to perfect transparency and clearness, possess a 

 pronounced and beautiful colour, are on account both of their rarity and beauty very highly 

 esteemed, and always command a much higher price than the most perfect of colourless 

 specimens. Among these so-called " fancy stones," red, blue, green, and yellow specimens 

 are included, the last-named, however, since the discovery of the Cape deposits, are by far 

 the most common. Compared with colourless diamonds, coloured specimens exist in quite 

 insignificant numbers. 



Diamonds showing different degrees of transparency and clearness and freedom from 

 faults are usually classified as stones of the first, second, and third water, and are valued 

 accordingly. Stones of the j'i'r*^ water (1st quality) are perfectly colourless, transparent, and 

 water-clear ; they are free from any fault or blemish or tinge of colour and stand first in 

 point of value. Colourless stones showing insignificant faults, or stones which are free 

 from faults, but tinged with colour, are placed in the second division and referred to as 

 stones of the second zvater ,' while stones of the third water display very obvious faults or a 

 colour of undesirable depth. A further division of the stones of the latter description is 

 sometimes made, and in this class are placed the smallest diamonds which can be used as 

 gems. It is by no means easy, however, in every case to place any given stone without 

 hesitation in one or other of these three or four classes, and it may often be observed that a 

 stone referred to as being of the second water by one jeweller will be placed in the first class 

 by another. Generally speaking, it may be said that a brilliant of the second water lias 

 only about two-thirds of the value of a similar gem of the first water ; while the values of 

 two roses of the first and second qualities are in the ratio of four to three. 



Taking the value of a brilliant of the first water as unity, that of a similar brilliant of 

 the second water will be §, while the values of roses of the first and second water will be 



