actual - DSpace@GIPE

THE DUMOND DISTIlICT. 31'1
ing in the conversion of carbon into the crystaJIine form which we
call diamonds. At Kimberley the diamonds occur in a great variety
of colors-green, blue, pink, brown, yellow, orange and white
-and' in a variety of tinte from pure white to dark yellow, from
light to deep brown. The precious stones vary in size from that
of a pin's head to one that was found a few years ago in the De
Beer's Mine, which weighed in the rough 428. carats and after
cutting 2281. This is undoubtedly the largest blilliant in the
world. It measured when uncut Ii inches through the longest
axis, and Ii inches square. This remarkable stone was exhibited
at the Paris Exposition of 18~9. There are many other famous
South African gems, but I have space to mention only two. In
1869 a Dutchman purchased a stone from a Gricqua native for
'2,000. worth of goods, and immediately sold it for t50,000. Its
value to-day is estimated at 1125,000. It was the famous" Star
of South Africa," a pure white diamond of 83t carats, and is at
present amongst the jewels of the English Countess of Dudley.
What is called the " Tiffany" yellow diamond, the largest stone
in America, and the finest yellow diamond in the world, weighing
125 carats and valued at t100,000, was found in the Kimberley
Mine.
The mining processes are as follows: The blne ground is
hoisted by the shafts and beiug emptied into iron cars is drawn
by maohinery to the depositing or pnlverising floors. That of the
De Beer's Mine is three miles by one in enent-fairly level land,
cleared of bush, rolled and made as smooth and hard as possible.
Here the blue ground is spread out to be pulverised by exposnre
to the air and ann. This requires a period of from three to six
months, varying aocording to tbe season of the year and the
amount of rain. The next step is that of passing the blue stuff
throngh rotary washing machines where the lighter portions are
washed away and the heavier remain. In this washing process
one hnndred tous of blue ground are concentrated into one load
of diamondiferous stuff. After being washed in the machines,
the diamonds are cleaned of any extraneons matter by boiling
them in a mixture of nitrate and sulphuric acids. They are then
carefully assorted with raference to size, color and purity. Parcels
are made np and sold to local buyers, who represent the leading
diamond merchante of Europe. What is called the Diamond
Market, at Kimberley, oonsisU! of severa! streets of the offices of
these merchant&. The size of a parcel varies from a few thonsands