Show r AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALI AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS It Is Ia Supposed apol d T Great Gua Wealth Will TUt Some mom Da Day Ze Although considerable e numbers number of diamonds are co continually being fou found d dIn In A Australia chiefly in New South W Wales les the true matrix has hu never been discovered In that colony there is evidence in every case to show that the stones were drifted from their original matrix to the places where they were were found but up to the pre present ent its locale and nature remain unknown says Public Opinion When both have been ascertained it is probable that New South Wales Walea will become one eithe ot ei the leading diamond producing countrIes countries countries coun coun- tries o of the world but the work of 61 prospecting is difficult tedious and costly by reason of the mountainous character of the country in which gems are principally found The finest finest finest fin fin- est stones yet known were obtained several years rears ago from the Cudgegong river rising in the Australian Alps Alpa and running through auriferous country country country coun coun- try in the northwestern portion o ot of the colony No regular search is being made at the present timo time for the stones atones the gold mining indus industries es beIng being being be be- ing found of a more certain and re remunerative remunerative remunerative re- re chara character ter but at at Bingera B and other portions of ot New England district in hl the northern por portion on of the colony diamond mining is actively carried on the stones generally being small and Others many off color of ot the same kind are found at Inverell in the same country Not a f few w of the stones obtained at either place would be classed as first water by the expert being white clear bright and l free from speck or flaw but their extreme extreme extreme ex ex- ex- ex hardness makes the cost of at cutting cutting cutting cut cut- ting expensive in proportion to their siz size Considerable numbers of f diamonds diamonds dia dla monds from Bingera Inverell and other other oth oth- er er places are annually sold in Europe I the larger stones sones bringing good prices i Thus a Bingera diamond which when cut weighed slightly under a carat was disposed of in London for tor 76 75 another another an an- other with a greenish tinge weighing over half a carat when cut bringing 50 The stones average about four tour to the carat in the rough stone For diamond diamond diamond dia dia- mond drills and similar industrial purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses the New South Wales stones are simply invaluable and are preferred preferred preferred pre pre- to those of other diamond producing producing pro pro- during countries At Mittagong 1 between between between be be- tween seventy and eighty miles south of ot Sydney diamonds are found in a s associated with other gems Some of the stones are of a much deeper deep deep- er tinge than the straw color which makes them off and are regarded as having a peculiar beauty of at their own awn as yellow diamonds In 1895 tome lome good diamonds were found in one of ot the western gold gol l some alluvial ml mining was being car vied ried on at a depth of from twenty to fifty feet teet One of at the stones capable of being cut into a first-class first brilliant of four carats was sold for Although Although Although Al Al- though diamonds are are met with in numerous numerous numerous nu nu- places in New South Wales many may miles apart from each other their sources remain undiscovered undiscovered undiscovered ered to this day The abraded appearance appearance appearance appear appear- ance of ot the stones generally shows that they must have traveled a considerable con con- considerable distance although their extreme extreme extreme ex ex- hardness has caused the sl signs ns of abrasion to be less conspicuous than in Brazilian and other diamonds It is believed that the matrix of ot the tha Bingera and Inverell diamonds will be bo found somewhere near the great dividing di dividing dividing di- di viding range and that as it is s approached approached ap ap- the stones obtained will Increase in increase increase In- In crease in size The ancient river bed down which they were carried has yetto yetto yet yetto to be discovered |