THE DIAMOND.
It is generally conceded that the diamond, including all its
varieties of color, holds the first rank among precious stones
for beauty and intrinsic value, though at the present time it
falls below some other gems in price as an article of rrterchandise ; there are none that equal it in hardness, brilliancy, and
a remarkable play of colors.
There is no other object in the whole realm of nature which
has been so eagerly sought and so reluctantly yielded as the
diamond ; and for this reason it possesses great tragical and
historical interest, having been not unfrequently the cause of
wars, the subject of negotiations between nations, and the
incentive for the commission of horrible crimes.
The diamond has always been regarded the symbol of rank,.
power, and wealth ; hence, it has been freely used to embellish
royal crowns, and other insignia of distinguished birth, as well
as for personal ornaments in the circles of fashion. Perhaps in
no period of its history has it been so generally employed in
jewelry as at the present time.
This incomparable gem has also served the higher purposes
of art, science, and literature. Its imperishable nature affords
an appropriate material for the engraver's art ; and its remarkable physical and chemical properties render it an object of
interesting experiments in science. It constitutes one of the
most appropriate and expressive metaphors in literature for
whatever is transcendent in beauty and excellence in the whole
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