A
red diamond, which is very rare, is called " Radja intan " or King of
Diamonds; bottle-green diamonds, also rare and valuable, are " Intan
Katja hitam "; pale blue or sea-water diamonds are " Intan-ajer-Lant,"
and " Intan minjak" is the name given to brown stones. " Chaping " are
flat twin crystals. Uncut diamonds are called " podi" and when cut they
are " intan." Some fine colored diamonds have been found in the Sarawak
and other rivers, but they can only be worked in dry seasons. A round,
rolled crystal, of good color, containing a dark core, is sometimes
found, which the natives do not attempt to cut, but wear it in its
natural state as an amulet. They call it " Buntat intan," or " Soul of
the diamond." When this is found in a digging, the digger moves on. He
regards it as a sure sign that there are no other diamonds near. He
also has faith that if he wears the Buntat intan suspended from his
neck, it will bring him good luck in his search further.
As
in Australia, the diamondiferous deposits lie at a considerable
elevation above the present watercourses, though they are all near the
banks of some river.
July
5, 1829, when Humboldt and Rose were on their journey to Siberia, the
first European diamond is said to have been found in the district of
Hiitte Bisersk, in the Urals, Russia, by Count Polier. It was found in
gold-washings on the estate of his wife, Princess Shachovskoi.
Humboldt was convinced by the similarity between the gold and platinum
deposits of that country and those of Brazil, that diamonds existed
there, and practically staked his reputation for sound judgment in the
matter, by assuring the Czar-
