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THE BOOK OF DIAMONDS
as
such. As regards to their color they differ very little from those of
other fields. In brilliancy and refractive power the New South Wales
gems surpass the African, and one of those cut in London was stated to
have been as fine a brilliant as it was possible to obtain in any part
of the world.
Professor
David came to the conclusion that the Cape Creek diamonds were probably
derived from the tourmaline granite. It is, however, now believed that
their source will ultimately be traced to volcanic "pipes" analogous to
those found in the celebrated Kimberley Field of South Africa. Whether
or not this solution will prove correct, time alone can
determine—certainly up to the present time there is no evidence of any
such "pipe" having yet been found.
The diamonds found in this colony generally average from 5 to 6 to the carat, although gems of 2-21/2 carats
are occasionally found, and one of 5 % carats has been found. The
number obtained per load varies very greatly; the Round Mount Company
in 1886 washed 722 loads for 2,685 carats—from 6 loads obtaining the
exceptional yield of 1,080 diamonds, weighing 296 carats, which
probably establishes a record so far as our fields are concerned.
Very
great difficulty is experienced in procuring accurate and reliable
information as to the quantity and value of the gems which, up to the
present, have been won, especially as regards the earlier years of the
industry. It is a significant fact that, in spite of the severe drought
with its attendant drawbacks, the output for 1898—16,493 carats—is in
quan-
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