About the Raulconda Diamond and Mine

THE RAULCONDA.

Cutters at Work in a Mine--A Notable Operation

This stone takes its name from the mine where it was discovered. There is nothing sufficiently salient in its history to suggest a more appropriate title. Tavernier mentions the stone in his account of the Raulconda mine, where he saw it in the process of being cut. "In this mine," he says, "there are a number of cutters, each of whom has only one wheel, which is of steel, and about the size of an ordinary dinner plate. They place one stone only on each wheel, which they moisten incessantly with water until they have found the grain of the stone. Then they take oil, and do not spare the diamond dust, which is very cheap, to make the stone run the quicker, and they also charge it much more than we do. I have seen 150 lbs. of lead placed on one stone, though it was certainly a very large one, which remained at 103 carats after having been cut, and the mill was like ours, the large wheel of which was turned by four blacks." The site of Raulconda mine will be found identified in our introductory chapter.