A CHAPTER ON DIAMONDS. 



Gold threatens to become quite common ; so mucli so that it 

 may possibly, but not very probably, become as vulgar to have a 

 sovereign in one's pocket as to have a farthing. Diamonds on 

 the contrary, have ever retained their pristine rarity and value. — 

 The discovery of a large diamond has ever constituted a page in 

 mineralogical history; and as if all the little diamonds were con- 

 centrated at the last into one, or the dying flicker was the bright- 

 est flame, the elimination of a large diamond has generally 

 worked the decay of a mine. Golconda was scarcely ever heard 

 of after the discovery of the Koh-i-nur. The history of a large 

 diamond is also far more curious than could be imagined, and the 

 possession of such has even affected the fate of oriental kingdoms. 



True, that modern chemistry has endeavoured to reap advantage 

 from the wondrous discovery made by Sir Isaac Newton, purely 

 from the optical properties of this invaluable gem — that it was of 

 a combustible nature ; and that, with the resuscitation of alche- 

 mical powers of old, by means of powerful galvanic batteries, it 

 has endeavored to assimilate its elements into a similar compound, 

 but success has not hitherto attended the efforts made to that 

 effect. The all-powerful electric current was made to reduce this 

 hardest and most brilliant of precious stones to mere gaseous pro- 

 ducts, confirming that which had been before premised, that its 

 basis was carbon — the chief element of vegetable and not mineral 

 matter ; but no amount of ingenuity, science, and skill, has suc- 

 ceeded in converting gaseous or solid carbon into diamond. A 

 variety of circumstances have thus combined to give permanence 

 to the value of this most singular precious stone, to leave the 

 " Mountain of Light" with scarcely a rival ; to sustain the pecu- 

 niary, if not the moral and political, value of the Nishan, and 

 even to impart a factitious interest to a prince from the Highlands 

 of Hindustan. 



