OCCURRENCE OF PRECIOUS STONES IN N.S.W. 270 
even a dark ruby, is white. The Bingara diamonds, including the 
yellow stones are when, reduced to powder of a grey-black colour. 
When a Bingara and a Cape stone are separately crushed to an 
equal grain, it will be seen that the Bingara diamond will not 
show so many cleavages, in other words the Cape diamond is more 
sparkling in appearance when powdered. Turning to Messrs. 
Etheridge and Davies’ Report we find that it is therein stated 
that “the absence of cleavage” is a point much in favour of the 
New South Wales diamond. 
*Quite recently Mr. Leopold Claremount, who is a cutter of gem- 
stones, wrote to the Sydney Morning Herald on the subject of 
Australian diamonds. He confirms the generally accepted opinion 
that Bingara? diamonds are harder than the diamonds commonly 
placed on the market. He says, ‘‘I have had a great many 
Australian diamonds pass through my hands, and have found in 
all cases that they are considerably harder than any other 
diamonds. It is well known that Indian and Brazilian diamonds 
are harder than those found at the Cape, and it is not surprising, 
therefore, that the Australian stones should be harder than the 
former. It may be mentioned as a curious coincidence in this 
respect that the Australian sapphires are harder than others.  g 
do not say that the Australian diamonds are too hard to cut. I 
have cut many, and when cut they have been in every way com, 
parable to diamonds from other localities of the same size and 
quality, but their extreme hardness renders the process exceed- 
ingly troublesome and expensive. Also the veins and ridges 
which are sometimes produced during the process of polishing 
diamonds are in these stones of much more frequent occurrence 
and are extremely difficult to avoid. The specimens so far have 
been of small size and indifferent quality, but I have no doubt 
that if the mines are found to yield larger and finer seein : shall 
be able to cut them successfully at a price which will pay.” 
SON a et err 
: = Annual Report Department of Mines N. S. Wales, 1886 p. - 
a + He writes of « Australian” diamonds, but as Bingara gems are the 
of _shgramel now sent to London bon peo he evidently ‘speaks 
*3 Sydney Morning Herald, December 5, 1896. 
