About the Classification of Diamonds at Kimberley mines in South Africa

About the classification and polishing of diamonds, stones, and crystals based on color and cleavage

The goods mined at South Africa are sorted and classified at Kimberley as follows:

1. Close goods

2. Spotted stones

3. Rejection cleavage

4. Fine cleavage

5. Light brown cleavage

6. Ordinary and rejection cleavage

7. Flats

8. Naats

9. Rubbish

10. Boart

Classification According to Color

Close Goods are supposed to be pure stones of desirable shapes. Spotted Stones are crystals slightly spotted. Rejection Stones are those seriously depreciated by spots. Cleavage are broken stones. Flats are flat crystals. The refuse classed as Rubbish and Boart is polishing material. The first eight classes are supposed to be further subdivided according to shades, as follows:

Blue white

First Cape

Second Cape

First bye

Second bye

Off color

Light yellow

Yellow

Only the first grade or close goods are really carefully graded according to these eight shades. With the other grades the sorters are less particular. Each color is again sub-divided into several sizes, and when the goods arrive in London the Syndicate again sorts them into

Finest extra blue white, Fine Capes

Extra blue white, Capes

Finest blue white, Byewaters

Blue white, Yellows

Finest white, Finest light brown

White, Light brown

Silver Capes, Brown and dark brown

All these colors are divided into shipments of Closed Goods, Spotteds, Irregulars, Blocks, Naats, and Flats.


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