green crust was bought always without any hesitation, as it was certain to be always of the first water.
Mr.
Cholmley resided in Golconda and prior to 1679 bought diamonds for the
East India Co. from Golapalle and Mullvale. The mines were at the
zenith of their production and fame during the sixteenth and the
seventeenth centuries. Then they declined gradually, and in the
nineteenth century, these very mines which had produced gems of
fabulous values were farmed out for a paltry sum of 8 annas per month.
Diamond mines of Central India.—The
Panna mines of Shahidan, Majgawan, Itwa'and Udesna were visited by
Capt. Franklin, Bousselet, Medlicott, and Capt. Pogson many years ago.
In olden times mining was extensive and very profitable. In recent
times work is done only in Shahidan and Itwa. During Emperor Akbar's
time it produced eight lakhs of rupees worth of stones. These mines
were idle in the seventeenth century, but in the eighteenth century
there was again mining activity. The present income is very small to
the State. The discovery of the South African fields delivered a death
blow to Panna.
Diamond fields in other continents.—Brazil. It
is believed that diamonds were first discovered in Brazil in 1670 in
the recent gravels in gold washings, but were not definitely identified
till 1721. The diamond areas are in the provinces of Minas Geraes and
Bahia. The diamond deposits are/ secondary and diamond occurs in
association with gold, cyanite, tourmaline, garnet, etc. They also
occur on plateau gravels whereas in India diamonds occur with pebbles
of jasper and quartz. Diamond mining in Brazil is carried on by
primitive methods. Brazilian deposits had their heyday between 1721 and
1870, but their present output is small.
Africa__In 1870, diamonds were discovered in primary
deposits or 'dry diggings' at Kimberley, in circular or
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