About the Yellow Tennant Diamond

THE TENNANT.

Another South African Gem--"Off Colour," but free from Flaw or Speck--Offered for Sale by Auction.

Shortly before his lamented death, the distinguished mineralogist, Mr. James Tennant, of London, became possessed of this gem. From the brief account published by him in November, 1880, and illustrated with four engravings, we gather that the rough diamond was brought to him from the South African diamond fields by one of his students. In the original state it weighed 112 carats, but it has since been cut in London as a brilliant, losing 46 carats only in the process. Hence its present weight is 66 carats. Like most African stones it has a yellow tinge, and, as the printed account says, "it exceeds in size and brilliancy any diamond in the British crown." It was recently put up to auction at the rooms of Messrs. Christie, by Professor Tennant's executors, with a reserve, but was not sold. We have named it the "Tennant" in recognition of the remarkable talents of this great mineralogist.

In the paper already referred to, mention is made of some other South African diamonds in the same collection, one of which is stated to weigh 56 carats. But it is apparently of inferior quality to the "Tennant," which, although of a yellow hue, is free from flaws or specks.