every
part of the world cannot safely be estimated at much more than 100, of
which probably about 50 are in Europe, and the remainder in Persia,
India, and Borneo. This number may no doubt be subÂsequently increased
by fresh discoveries in Brazil, South Africa, India, Borneo, Australia,
and elsewhere. But the supply of such large specimens from these
sources must always be extremely limited ; while the experiments
recently conducted by Mr. J. B. Hannay. in Glasgow may be taken as
clearly proving that none such will ever be made by artificial means.
Those said to have been produced in Mr. Hannay's laboratory by a
process doubtless analogous to that followed by nature herself are
excessively minute, with a marketable value of scarcely five shillings,
the production of which probably cost the speculative experimenter
about five pounds each. While the number of small-sized gems will go on
accumulating, those of very large magnitude will probably remain, to a
great extent, stationary; their intrinsic value will tend to grow
rather than diminish, and apart from the romance of their history, the
interest felt in the world's most famous gems will be enhanced as the
development of national wealth adds to the ranks of those who are rich
enough to compete for their possesÂsion. Hitherto our Transatlantic
kinsmen have scarcely appeared in the market as serious bidders for
their possession. They are great buyers of stones of medium size.
American gentlemen wear diamonds in the States almost as generally as
the ladies do. It is quite a common thing to see pins and studs of 10
to 15 carats worn in all classes of society ; and in
