of
it (diamond) as one-fourth that of the emerald, and the emerald at half
that of the ruby. It may interest some who know a little of the value
of these colored precious stones to learn that Cellini estimated a
perfect ruby weighing one carat at the equivalent of eight hundred
dollars.
In
a lecture "On Diamonds" seventy-five years ago Professor Maskelyne
said, "The diamond is a substance which transcends all others in
certain properties to which it is indebted for its usefulness in the
arts and its beauty as an ornament. Thus, on the one hand, it is the
hardest substance found in nature or fashioned by art. Its reflecting
power and refraction energy, on the one hand, exceed those of all other
colorless bodies, while it yields to none in the perfection of its
pellucidity." He was constrained to add, "the formation of the diamond
is an unsolved problem."
The
glory of Solomon, the grandeur of the Caesars and the gorgeous pomps of
the Dukes of Burgundy have had their celebrated periods in history.
Now, Americans are setting a new record of luxury more dazzling, at
least in one respect, than any of the past—they have more and better
diamonds.
Diamond
in the English, and Diamant in the French, are both synonymous with
Adamant, which comes directly from the Greek word, άδάμας, meaning
literally invincible, the unconquerable; and from the Latin word,
adamare, to love, and also the Latin word adamas, meaning hard.
Combined
with the qualities that withstand the destruction of time, diamonds
possess other qualities which prevent the weariness of monotony
growing usually out of
2
