Sec. II, Ch. 13: Value of Rough Diamonds

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	CHAPTER XIII. VALUE OF ROUGH DIAMONDS.

	HE valuing of rough Diamonds requires much technical experience, and is quite a business of itself. Although the Diamonds of all parts of the world possess certain characteristics in common, yet the stones from different places have special peculiarities by which good judges generally find themselves at once in a position to declare the locality whence they have been obtained, although they cannot always define the grounds of their judgment. In valuing rough Diamonds it is necessary to consider the following points : firstly, the form and proportions of the crystal, whether it can be cleaved to advantage ; and then the loss of weight likely to be incurred in cutting, as an irregular or broken piece obviously requires a greater sacrifice of weight to form it into a perfect Brilliant than a well-proportioned crystal. The best forms to choose are the octahedron and the rhombic dodecahedron. Chips or splints are often fashioned by the cutter with very little loss of weight. Secondly, heed must be taken to distinguish the degrees of colour, and purity of the specimen. It must not be forgotten, in estimating large Rough Diamonds, especially those from the Cape, that certain tints of colour may be brought out in the cutting, which do not appear in the stone in its rough state ; thus, perfect polish, and the power of reflection, characteristic of the

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