42 PRECIOUS STONES
artificial
light, though electric light sometimes intensifies it. Brownish-white,
on the contrary, though good day stones, become dark under any but
sunlight.
As
these various shades deepen, they pass from the realm of " off-color"
to " fancy" stones. Color then becomes desirable, and grows in value
as it is intensified. These fancy colors cannot be definitely placed in
the order of value. Red, emerald-green, and sapphire-blue are extremely
rare, and the few stones found bring fancy prices. The " Halphen Red
Diamond" was sold by Mr. Edwin W. Streeter, of London, for £800. It
weighs one carat. The same gentleman sold a green diamond for £300.
After passing through several hands, it was sold in New York for about
seven thousand dollars. A pale-green diamond in the Griine Gewolbe, or
" Green Vaults," of Dresden, weighing forty carats, is valued at
£30,000. This stone, however, is very light, much like a full-colored
aquamarine. Mr. Streeter also paid £300 for a one-carat blue diamond
which he believes to be part of the original blue diamond owned by
Louis XIV., and now known as the " Hope" diamond. This celebrated stone
was lately bought and imported to this country by the Messrs. Frankel,
of New York.
Pink
and violet diamonds are next in rarity. Fine orange or canary diamonds
are scarce, and there is a growing demand for them. The color should be
a deep, clean yellow, free from greenish or blackish tints. Fine browns
are rapidly coming into favor here, and, as comparatively few really
fine stones are found, they will undoubtedly command much higher prices
in the near future. A rich coffee-color, seal-brown, and the red and
golden-bronze browns are best.
Besides brilliancy and color, there are two other things to consider in the choice of a diamond,—i.e., cutting
and perfection. If due regard has been given to the quality of
brilliancy, these two items are comparatively unimportant. A stone
which is properly brilliant cannot be very badly cut or
