GERMAN DIAMONDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 539, 21 June 1909, Page 7

GERMAN DIAMONDS.

REPORTED FRESH FINDS IN AFRICAN ' : COLONY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.—OopyrlEht.) /Berlin, Juno 18. i i Frosh finds of diamonds are reported in German Soutb-West Africa, in.the'districts of Ludoritz Bay and of Spencer Bay (about sixty miles north of Luderitz Bay). Theso reports have led'to a'sensational rise ,in the German Colonial Company's shares. QUALITY OF THE STONES. The first large consignment of diamonds from Gorman South-West. Africa reached Germany about the middlo o£ April. The stones wore valued at 500,000 marks (.225,000), of whioh the Government takes one-third as duty. The German Minister for the Colonies, Herr Deruburg, may now claim to have something tangible to show, the Socialists who received with scepticism his glowing statements to the Rciohstag. . The vein of sceptisni has not been lacking in English press reports as to the German diamonds: Early in April the Berlin correspondent of "The Times" wrote: "In consequence of .'trustworthy' information from an 'authoritative' source to the effect that blue ground has. been discovered in the neighbourhood of Luderitz Bay, thero has been a sensational rise in the shares of the German Colonial Company for South-Wost Africa on the Berlin Bourse." A Eenter'6 message from Amsterdam, describ. ing some diamonds which arrived thore from German South-West Africa, states: "As these stones are small they are not bring sawn or cleft, but only cut. Both cutters and polishers have remarked upon their unusual softness. The German South-West African diamonds offer in this respect a marked contrast to the Premier and other diamonds, whioh are extraordinarily brittle,. and so require handling with the utmost care. Experts declare that, should at 6ome future time German SouthWest African diamonds of large sizo bo found —possessing the same quality of softness—their advantages, would be very great, espeeiallv as their softness in .no way detracts from fheir brilliancy. ■ "Dutch and English experts declare it to bo impossible at present to fix an average price for German South-West African stones. The undertaking is too young for that yet. It is very probable that a larp;e English firm will secure the exclusive sale of tho diamonds found in Gorman South-West Africa. Negotiations on the subject are still going/on."