Introduction: The Diamond in History

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	INTRODUCTION.



	The Diamond in History—How the Ancients described it— The " Adamas " and the Sapphire—The Rarity of Large Gems—The number of Existing known Diamonds over 30 Carats—The Buyers of Precious Stones —Popularity of Diamonds in America—Romantic Stories—Famous Mines—" The Great Mogul," " Koh-i-Nür," and " Pitt "—Popular Errors Corrected—The Standard of Weight and its Origin.

	HE mystery which surrounds the Diamond is accentuated even in the etymology of the word itself. Acknowledged on all hands to be supreme in beauty over all gems, the manner of its production remains to this day, one of the secrets of Nature's Laboratory. Diamond in the English, and Diamant in the French, are both synonymous with Adamant, which comes directly from the Greek άδά/χαs, meaning literally the "untamable,"* the "unconquerable." The ancients properly estimated the character of the stone; and modern savants, who, standing upon the

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