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100
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THE MINERAL WEALTH OF BRAZIL
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One
of the most productive areas of Baia, is that between Sincora in the
south and Morro do Chapeu in the north. This fact is attributed to the
richness of the fields and to the abundance of water.
Other
diamond zones in the state of Baia are the following: Camas-sari,
slightly to the north of the State Capital; Rio Itapicuru, principally
the districts of Santa Luzia and Barracao; municipality of
Canavieiras, along the Rio Salobro, a tributary of the Rio Pardo and
Lavras Diamantina, the most important of which includes the
municipalities of Sincora> Mocuge, Andarai, Len-C,oes, Campestre,
Palmeiras, Assurua, Brotas and Morro do Chapeu.
The
principal diamond districts of the state of Mato Grosso are the
district of Coxim which is along the banks of the Rio Juruema and its
tributaries and that of the Rio das Gar^as. Besides these two there is
the alluvium of the Rio Aquidauna which has proven a constant source of
supply and has assured the success of the mining operations undertaken
in that region.
In
the state of Goiaz, as in Mato Grosso, diamond prospecting has been
effected on a large scale only in recent years. The most important
diamond districts of this state are those of Verissimo and of the
rivers, Corumba, Caiapo, Araguai and their tributaries.
Other
Brazilian diamond zones are located along the rivers Tibagi, Peixe,
Paranapanema, Canoas and Verde in the state of Sao Paulo; the rivers of
lapo, Pitangui and Cinzas in the state of Parana; the River Seco,
tributary of the Tocantins River in the state of Maranhao and the Quino
and Irengmuta, in the state of Amazonas. The basin of the Rio Branco
has furnished some stones and all indications seem to point to the
possibility of operations as important as those of the Guianas.
The four largest diamonds in the world were discovered in South Africa. The Culiman, found in 1905 in the Premier Mine is the largest known to date. Uncut, it weighed 3,025.75 carats. The Excelsior, found in 1893, weighing 1,969 carats, is the second largest, followed by the diamond known as the 1,649 Carat (weight) and the Jubilee of 971.75 carats. The fifth largest diamond is the famous Great Mogul, discovered in 1550 near Golconda, India. It weighed 793 carats.
The President Vargas, found
in Brazil in 1938 and weighing 726.60 carats, is the sixth largest in
size among the world's diamonds. The seventh place goes to the Jankers which weighs 726 carats and was discovered in South Africa in 1935 while the eighth is the Darcy Vargas, a Brazilian stone of 460 carats.
Among other large diamonds found in Brazil there are the famous Estrela do Sul of 254.50 carats, discovered in 1853; the Coromandel of 400.65 carats, discovered in 1939 and the Cruzeiro do Sul of 118.50 carats, discovered in 1935.
The
production of diamonds in Brazil is slightly more than 3% of the total
world production and one-half of one percent of the total value of
Brazil's exports. Estimates of output by states are unreliable becavtse
of the con-
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