Ch. 1: The Diamond

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	THE DIAMOND	15

	for ages the natural stones had been somewhat improved by rubbing them together, but before that, the diamond as found would not have been likely to attract the finder as much as the rock crystal which, in its rough state, is generally much more brilliant. Doubtless many of the diamonds of legend were crystal, especially where they are said to have been engraved, for the Ancients could not engrave the diamond. This native hardness, which now makes the stone pre-eminent among jewels, in the old days rendered it less desirable than others. Even in the sixteenth century it was valued far below rubies and emeralds. Nevertheless Pliny speaks of it as a thing which exceeded all others in value and confined to the use of few kings even. It may be that in his time it was more highly valued than later. It may be that he romanced about this as he did about many other things, though some of Juvenal's stories give evidence that it was very precious in the early days of the Roman Empire. Whatever the facts concerning it in ancient times may be, the diamond, as we know it, is a comparatively late production, and the extreme perfection of beauty attained by the cutting of to-day has been developed in this generation. As Europe taught the Orient what undreamed-of beauty was inherent in its native gem, by the art of cutting and polishing, so did the new empire of the west teach Europe how to reach the acme of beauty by adapting proportion of size and shape to the qualities of reflection and refraction. The diamond, as we know it, is not yet fifty years of age. Before exact knowledge was acquired of the combination of qualities which constitute a diamond, much

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