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COLORED DIAMONDS
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crystallized
as definite crystals were picked up by the diamond crystal and became
the solid inclusion now to be found in them. On the one hand we find
some beautiful diamond inclusions in diamonds; one of the most
beautiful in Mr. Williams's collection is a mauve diamond imbedded in a
white diamond. On the other hand we see black spots in diamonds, which
may be haematite, graphite, and other particles previously mentioned.
As
to color and structure, Mr. Williams finds that the structure of any
crystal is dependent in the first instance upon the atomic structure.
In other words, the grouping of the atoms forms the molecule and the
grouping of the molecules forms the crystal. And that also means the
growth of any crystal follows a definite law based on its atomic
structure.
So
he comes to the conclusion that the common shades— and the word
"shades" is significant since it suggests a gradation rather than a
separation of colors—range from pale yellow to pale brown. Difficult it
is to describe the range of color in the diamond, he says, since one
shade grades into another, but on broad lines they are:
Pale yellow to deep yellow Pale brown to deep brown White to blue-white
The
above, he says, are the more common colors, but other shades—that word
"shades" again, mind you—are occasionally found, such as orange, pink,
mauve, green, blue, red, and black.
Certain
colors predominate in certain mines of South Africa. For instance, the
Wesselton mine produces largely pale yellow to white; Bulfontein,
white; Dutoitspan, yellow; De Beers and Kimberley mines, pale yellow to
yellow;
(217)
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